House of Fire
by trappedinthestars
Summary: Flames erupted. "What did you do?" I asked. "I didn't do a thing." he replied. "But then..." I began. My gaze fell on the only other person in the room, Jerome. Eventually Amber/Jerome. AU Strong T, Completed. Sequel now on Fanfiction!
1. Alien and Zombie kidnaps

_**Summary**__**: Jerome has been keeping a lot of secrets lately and acting really strange. Only Amber notices the true change in Jerome. Soon she is dragged into a world of drama, pain, and struggle as she tries to get Jerome back to his regular state.**_

**Amber's P.O.V.**

I was sitting in the living area reading a magazine when I heard someone calling my name. "Amber, it's your turn to do the dishes." Trudy called from the kitchen.

I closed my magazine and approached Trudy. "I can't I just got a manicure." I informed her, pointing to my freshly painted fingers.

Trudy rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "You can wear gloves."

I sighed and snatched the pair of yellow rubber gloves she held out for me before entering the kitchen where I saw Fabian and Nina by the counter.

"Can you believe Trudy is making me wash the dishes?" I complained.

"It is your turn." Nina pointed out.

"But I just got a manicure. I can't ruin it." I defended as I held out a hand.

Fabian chuckled and put his plate in the sink. "I think you'll live for now."

My shoulders slumped and I walked over to the pile of dishes waiting to be cleaned.

(***)

Once I was done washing the dishes, I headed upstairs.

As soon as I opened the door to my room, I plopped down on Nina's bed and held out my hands. "Look at my nails."

Nina closed the book she had been reading and glanced down at my hand. "What's wrong?"

"One of them is chipped!" I cried.

Nina lightly shook her head and put her attention back on her book. "Really? I didn't notice."

I rolled my eyes and hopped off her bed before walking over to my closet and rummaging through my clothes. "I'm going to get ready for bed now." I exclaimed.

When Nina didn't reply, I sighed and grabbed my towel before heading to the bathroom and taking a shower. Once I finished, I turned the lights off and climbed into bed.

(***)

The very next morning I entered the kitchen and expected to smell pancakes and freshly squeezed orange juice, but instead I smelt nothing.

"Where's Trudy?" I asked.

"She's gone for the day. She left a note on the fridge if you want to look at it." Patricia answered as she poured milk onto her cereal.

I walked into the kitchen and plucked the note off the refrigerator. "What? She expects me to cook the meal!"

"You have been slacking off with your chores." Mara pointed out from her seat at the table.

"It's unfair." I replied as I walked over to my chair. "I don't even know how to cook."

"You better figure it out then." Patricia advised before taking a bite from her cereal. I sighed and sank in my seat.

At that very moment, Nina entered the room and sat beside me.

"Can you believe Trudy's making me cook?" I asked her.

"It won't be that bad." Nina tried to assure me.

"I could burn down the house!" I exclaimed.

"Don't worry, I'll help you." She offered.

"You can't. On the back of the note it says you can't receive help from anyone." Patricia interjected.

"She expects me to do it on my own!" I cried in disbelief.

"Just order pizza," Nina responded. "We can live without a home cooked meal for one day."

"Actually a week." Mara corrected.

"Well, what about cereal? Cereal is food, right?" I asked.

Patricia rolled her eyes. "Breakfast food."

I frowned and looked down at my plate.

"Umm… why don't we just go out for dinner tonight and figure everything out tomorrow?" Nina proposed.

I nodded in approval. "That's a great idea."

"Ok, then we'll do just that." Mara said.

"Do what?" Mick asked as all the boys piled into the dining area.

"We're going to go out for dinner tonight." Nina informed them.

Alfie furrowed his eyebrows as he grabbed a croissant from the center of the table. "Why?"

"Trudy isn't here." Mara answered.

"Maybe she got eaten by zombies." Alfie suggested with his mouth full as he walked around the table with his arms extended out while making moaning sounds.

Fabian shook his head and set down Trudy's note on the table. "I don't think zombies leave notes."

"Who said it has to be zombies?" Alfie questioned. "It could be aliens."

Patricia rolled her eyes. "Yeah and suppose they took you when you were a kid and robbed you of your brain."

Laughter erupted around the table and Alfie frowned.

"Has anyone seen Victor? He disappeared last night." Nina broke the laughter.

Alfie raised his hand and opened his mouth to speak. "No, it wasn't aliens or zombies." Patricia interrupted.

Alfie dropped his arm to his side and shut his mouth.

"Speaking of people disappearing, where's Jerome?" I asked.

"He's in his room." Alfie revealed. "He's been kind of down the past few days."

"I wonder what's wrong." Nina pondered.

"Beats me. I never see him. He's always under his covers." Alfie confessed.

Nina set down her glass of orange juice after taking a sip and shrugged. "Maybe we should get someone to talk to him."

All of a sudden everyone turned to Mara. She looked around at all her house mates before asking, "What?"

"Go talk to him." Patricia gestured to the door. "You're the only other person besides Alfie he'll listen to."

Mara bit her lower lip. "I don't know…"

"Come on." Nina encouraged her.

Mara looked up at all of us and sighed. "Fine."

She stood up and walked out the room. We all exchanged glances and waited for her to come back in silence.

After a full five minutes, Mara entered the room and returned to her seat.

"So… what happened?" Patricia asked.

Mara shrugged. "Nothing, he didn't even reveal himself. Anyone else feel free to try."

"Umm, I'll go talk to him." I volunteered.

"Really?" Patricia asked rather rudely.

"Yeah, it's worth a shot." I pointed out.

Everyone nodded in agreement and I made my way to the door. I slowly walked into the hallway and spotted Jerome and Alfie's room down the hall. The door was opened enough for a crack of light to be seen. I put my hand on the door knob and pushed the door opened. Once I entered, I closed it behind me.

"Umm… Jerome?" I called his name and took a step into the room.

"Go away." I heard him say.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Leave, now." He demanded.

I quickly turned and stared at the door as I tried to keep calm. "Don't take no for an answer Amber."

I turned back to him and took a few steps towards him. "Jerome?"

I heard no reply and stepped closer, only a few feet from his bed now. "Are you ok?"

Nothing.

I was suddenly a bit scared. It seemed like I was in a bad horror movie where the guy ends up being a murderer but the stupid girl tries to calm him down anyways and ends up dead.

Pushing my fear to the back of my mind, I took another step closer, only a foot away from his bed.

"Jerome?" I asked.

Once again I received no answer.

I took the final step towards his bed and was officially right in front of him.

At that moment I could see his covers moving and hear a quiet noise that sounded a bit like crying.

"Jerome?" I repeated.

I moved my hand up to his covers and peeled them off of him to reveal his face.

Jerome was huddled up into a ball as he stared up at the ceiling. Sweat dotted his skin and his face was paler than usual. I couldn't help but wonder if he was cold.

"He found me." Jerome mumbled.

My eyes sparked at the statement and I looked at him with a puzzled face. "What?"

"He sees all, and he sees me." He muttered.

Yep, horror movie.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I don't want it. I didn't want it." He whispered.

"Want what?" I asked.

His eyes traveled from the ceiling to mine and I gulped before taking a step back. "It hurts and haunts." He whimpered.

My eyes grew wide with fear and I had the sudden urge to bolt from the room. "It knows all. It will become all." He stated.

I backed away, completely frightened. What was he talking about?

Before he could say anything else, I immediately turned around and left the room, running up the halls and straight into the living area where everyone was waiting.

Nina suddenly stood up and took a few steps towards me. "You were in there a long time. What happened?"

I shook my head, still trying to shake the fear from my body.

"Amber, what happened?" Fabian asked.

"I-I…I can't." I blurted out before I ran up the steps to the room Nina and I shared.

As soon as I got to my room I slammed the door shut leaving everyone downstairs with confused expressions on their faces.


	2. Fire Extinguishers and Edible Barf

**Well, I decided to make this an Amber/Jerome story with an Amber/Fabian friendship that ****might**** progress into something else, just to make things interesting and a bit different. I hope you keep reading. This chapter is really important, so if it seems like it doesn't matter, please keep reading, because it does. Now, on to the story…**

**Nina's P.O.V.**

We all stood in the living area with confused expressions.

"I wonder what happened." Mara said.

"Go talk to her." Patricia said to me.

"Why? She locked the door." I said.

"You're the one she trusts the most." Fabian said.

"Ok, but it might not work." I said.

"Just go." Patricia said as she gave me a little shove towards the stairs.

I walked to the second floor quietly glancing at Victor's office which was empty. Ever since the mystery had ended his office was always silent. I walked past the rest of the girls' rooms and stood in front of the one I shared with Amber. I knocked and waited to hear Amber's voice.

I waited for a while and as I turned to leave the door opened slightly. I opened the door the rest of the way and entered the room. I spotted Amber in front of her mirror.

"Amber, are you alright?" I asked.

I heard her sigh.

"I think." She replied.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I'd rather not talk about if that's ok." She said.

"I understand." I said.

"I think I'll just catch up on some sleep." She said as she stood up and walked to her bed.

I nodded and walked out the room, turning the lights off on my way out.

I walked down the stairs and saw everyone else in the living area where Mick and Alfie were fighting for the remote.

"What'd she say?" Mara asked.

As soon as Mara asked that, Mick let go of the remote making Alfie flip and fall over the sofa.

"Nothing. She's sort of freaked out a bit and decided to take a nap." I answered.

"A nap? Really? She probably snuck out here window." Mick said with a laugh.

"How do you know?" Mara asked with an eyebrow raised.

"When we umm… dated she told me she sneaks out her window to get some alone time and says she's taking a nap to cover it up." Mick said.

"Did you ever sneak out with her?" Mara asked crossing her arm across her chest.

"Well… we aren't talking about that. Basically, she isn't sleeping." Mick said trying to avoid the subject.

"Go check on her." Patricia said to me.

I quickly ran up the stairs and headed to our room. I opened the door and saw an empty room and an opened window.

I ran back downstairs in a hurry.

"She's gone." I said in a panic.

"Don't worry. She'll be ok." Mick said.

"I wonder what freaked her out." Patricia said.

"She'll tell us eventually." Mara said.

"Actually she'll just tell Nina." Alfie corrected.

Fabian looked down at his watch.

"Well, I have to go." Fabian said as he ran to the door.

"Where?" I asked.

"Nowhere." He answered as he opened the door and left.

"That was weird." I said.

"Lying. The first sign of him cheating." Patricia said.

"Cheating?" I asked with a worried expression.

Patricia smiled evilly and headed up to her room that she now shared with Mara and Joy.

I heard the front door open and click close. Joy walked into the room.

"Hey, what happened while I was gone?" She asked.

"Aliens and zombies came." Alfie answered.

Joy gave him a strange look and then descended to her room.

Soon everyone had gone to their rooms and I was left alone in the living area.

**Fabian's P.O.V.**

I left the house and ran to the nearest bus stop.

Once I got off the bus I turned a corner and walked down the sidewalk.

I had recently got a job at a local restaurant to earn money to get Nina a gift for our anniversary.

I walked further down the street and suddenly stopped in my tracks. I could see a girl with long straight blonde hair in front of a bus stop.

I slowly approached her and was soon standing right next to her.

"Excuse me, but do you know what time it is?" I asked.

"Sorry, but I can't help you." She said turning to face me.

"Oh." She said when she looked at me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Amber.

"I needed a breather." She answered.

"This is your breather?" I asked.

"Actually no. I take a bus trip to the country and lie down in a grassy field." She explained.

"Sounds… peaceful." I said.

"Yeah. So what are you doing?" Amber asked.

"New job, but I don't think I'll get it." I said with a sigh.

"There'll be more." She said.

"Yeah, so mind if I join you?" I asked.

"No, I'd rather not be alone." She said.

Fabian nodded.

(***)

We both walked down a long dirt road.

"How'd you find this place?" I asked.

"I use to come here when I was a kid. I would run around and sometimes just lie on the ground and stare at the sky. I would identify shapes in the clouds." She said.

"Sounds like fun." I said.

Amber pointed to a spot in the field beside us. We both walked over and lied on our backs.

"A…bear." She said.

"Hmm…a car." I said.

"Unicorn." She said.

"Umbrella." I replied.

"You think you can spot more things than me?" She asked.

"Of course." I said.

"Ok, you're on." She said.

After about two dozen cloud shapes later we just lay on the ground in silence, but the good silence.

"What happened?" I asked.

The smile on her face faded when I said that.

"Well, I walked in and-." She began.

All of a sudden small drops of water started to drop from the sky. It soon started pouring all around us.

"We should go." I said over the loud sound of splashing water.

She shook her head. Amber backed away from me and then started twirling. I looked at her in awe as she ran around without her shoes in the rain.

She stopped and turned to me with a huge grin plastered on her face.

"Let's walk home." She said.

"But we're hours away." I said.

Amber gave me a look that ultimately made me say yes.

"I never thought you were this crazy." I said as we walked slowly in the rain.

She shrugged. "Me neither."

(***)

After a long while we had reached the school.

We entered the house laughing and soaking wet. As we walked into the living area, everyone looked at us as if we each had two heads.

"Where were you?" Nina asked.

"Outside." Amber answered.

"I meant where outside." Nina said.

Amber looked over at me and then back at Nina.

"I think I'll be in my room." She said as she made her way up the stairs.

I turned and looked at Nina and everyone else behind her who were suddenly interested in our conversation.

"Umm…what she said." I said as I made my way to my room.

(***)

I knew for a fact Nina would ask where I was. I couldn't ruin the surprise, so I would have to lie to her face…but I couldn't. I'm a horrible liar and I don't want to lie to her. But it's because I want to make her happy. Yep, happy.

Nina marched into my room.

"Where were you?" She asked.

"I went to my uncle's. I promised him I'd help him with something and on my way back I found Amber." I said.

Nina nodded. "Ok, well night." She said. She kissed me gently and then left the room, revealing Mick.

"You're a horrible liar." Mick said.

"I know." I said as I sat at the edge of her bed.

"So where were you really?" Mick asked.

"I was trying to get a job to get money for a gift for our anniversary. Worried I wouldn't get it, I chickened out and walked down the sidewalk were I happened to spot Amber. I talked to her and then I went with her to this place with big fields where we just relaxed. It started to rain and Amber wanted to twirl around and as she did I got this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. She suggested we walk home. We ended up walking for hours in the rain and as we did I got that same feeling. Is that bad?" I said without pausing.

Mick looked at me for awhile without saying a thing.

"You can really talk." He finally said.

"Mick, I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I need girl advice." I said.

Mick shrugged. "You're on your own."

**Alfie's P.O.V.**

I stood outside my door.

"Come on, please let me in." I begged.

I kept banging on the door hoping Jerome would open it.

After a couple of minutes I gave up and walked to the dining room and saw Amber in the kitchen trying to work the oven. She opened it up and pulled out a dish filled with something that didn't exactly smell normal.

"What'd you make?" I asked.

"Food." She said.

"What type of food?" I asked.

She shrugged.

I was suddenly worried that this would be my last meal.

"Can you help me?" She asked.

"I thought you weren't allowed to get help?" I asked.

"Look, you're my boyfriend and if you want it to stay that way you'll help." She threatened.

I ran right into the kitchen once she said that.

"What do you need help with?" I asked.

"Well, do you use these green lemons for lemonade or the yellow ones?" She asked.

"Yellow." I answered.

She nodded and then handed me a pitcher full of water, yellow lemons, a knife, and a bag of sugar.

"Now get started." She said.

She left the kitchen and headed upstairs.

**Amber's P.O.V.**

I walked up the stairs and into my room.

"Hey." I said cheerfully to Nina.

"What happened?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Nina stood up and closed the door and then turned to face me.

"Jerome." She said.

"Oh." I said.

"So…" She asked.

"I have to…go check on dinner." I said as I ran out the room and down the stairs, ultimately running right into Fabian.

"Sorry." I said as I rubbed my head.

"It's fine." He said with a smile.

I continued to walk but stopped at the sound of Fabian's voice.

"You never finished telling me what happened." He said.

"He was scared and he said they came." I said.

"Who's they?" He asked.

"I don't know and I don't want to find out. Promise me you won't tell." I said.

"But…" He said.

"Promise." I interrupted.

Fabian nodded. I turned and headed the rest of the way to the kitchen and saw Alfie with a fire extinguisher.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Nothing, I've just always wanted to use one." Alfie answered.

I shook my head and took the fire extinguisher away.

I started to put everything on the table. After I finished I called everyone to the dining area.

"What is this?" Mara asked as she looked at the food on her plate.

"It looks like barf." Patricia said with a disgusted face.

Everyone started to push their plates forward.

"Come on, I worked really hard." I said.

"What's for dinner, I'm starving." I heard a voice say.

I looked up at the door way and was shocked to see Jerome with a smile plastered on his face.

Something is definitely wrong.

**Hope you liked it…I'm going to start bringing in the mystery aspect in the next chapter. I also won't be updating as quickly. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	3. Annoying kids and Fun house Mirrors

**Amber's P.O.V.**

I stood dumbstruck with the dish in hand. I could tell my mouth hung open. Looking around the table I noticed that I wasn't the only one that was surprised to see Jerome.

"Is there a ghost in the room?" He asked half teasingly.

All of a sudden the dish in my hand slipped and crashed against the floor.

I bent down to pick up the glass when I felt a sharp pain in my right hand. I lifted it to my face and saw blood streaming down.

"Amber, you're bleeding!" Fabian exclaimed. All eyes looked down at me.

I could see bits of glass stuck on my hand. I stood up and held my hand as I walked into the bathroom. I locked the door behind me and turned to face the sink. I looked at the bloody mess that covered my hand. I took out a pair of tweezers and carefully pulled out the pieces of glass. I washed my hand carefully and wiped off all the blood. I noticed it was a deep cut. I took out gauze and wrapped it around my hand carefully.

_What just happened? Jerome appeared out of nowhere. I know what I saw earlier today and there is no chance that he could've gotten better so quickly. I just need to relax. There has to be a reason. But right now, I can't even think of one._

I gathered cold water in my hand and splashed it on my face. I lifted my head and looked at the mirror.

"Just relax." I said to myself.

I turned and exited the bathroom. I walked back into the dining area as if nothing ever happened.

"Anyone want dessert? It's store bought." I said. Everyone began to nod slowly, shaking off what previously happened.

I walked into the kitchen and picked up the chocolate fudge cake and set it on the dining table. Everyone began to take a piece and eat. Soon enough it seemed normal as chatter shook the room, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

(***)

The next morning the whole house was filled with noise. We were all involved in the school's annual fair.

I was working with Nina and Mara at the ticket booth where you exchange tickets for prizes. Patricia and Joy were working at the ring toss and the boys were working at the water dump. I first suggested that us girls should work at the kissing booth, but they all refused and we got stuck with the most boring jobs ever. We were all getting ready to go where the fair was being held to set up everything.

I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen fully dressed. The only person there was Jerome. I took my seat at the table and poured myself a glass of orange juice.

"Lovely day isn't it." Jerome said.

I nodded and looked down at my empty plate. I grabbed a piece of toast from the center of the table and began to pick it apart.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to make you change so quickly?" I asked.

"It was just… a prank." He said pausing in between the sentence.

"No it wasn't. It was real." I said.

"If you know what's good for you you'll shut up and not mention it again." He said as he slammed the pitcher of orange juice on the table. The pitcher shattered and orange juice swam across the table dripping to the floor. Jerome stood up and left the room, leaving me with the mess. I stood up and got a cloth to clean up all the orange juice.

After I finished I sat back in my seat and looked at the table.

_That was quiet a reaction, _I thought to myself. _Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut. I don't know why, but when he said 'if you know what's good for you' I had the feeling that he would rise to epic proportions just to keep me from talking. Something is definitely wrong with him._

I heard several footsteps enter the room.

"Are you coming?" Nina asked.

I nodded and stood up. We all left the house and closed the door behind us.

(***)

I looked around the empty field where empty wooden booths and shacks stood for the fair.

Nina, Mara, and I were unloading the boxes filled with all the prizes that were left over from last year's fair to use this year. Once we finished we decided to walk around to see everyone else's booths and activities.

We stopped at the boys station and saw a glass tank with a miniature diving board above it for someone to sit on.

"Do you mind helping us test run it?" Fabian asked as he handed me a ball.

"Not at all." I said as I stood a good distance away from the target.

Mick sat on the platform wearing a pair of swimming trunks.

"Come on, give it to someone who can actually make the target!" Mick shouted.

I rolled my eyes and pulled back my arm as I got ready to throw the ball. I swung my arm forward and released the ball. It hit the target perfectly sending Mick into the ice cold water.

The surface of the water broke as his head appeared.

"Wow Amber, that's quiet an arm you have." He said.

I shrugged and said "Bye."

Nina, Mara, and I stopped at the kissing booth to see a couple of girls and guys that would take shifts. We continued to walk around the fair.

After a while, we had seen every booth and activity. We went back to our booth and waited for the fair to start.

(***)

"You don't have enough tickets for the bear. You can get the stickers, eraser, or the key chain." I explained to the fifth kid this hour.

The kid snatched the stickers and stuck its tongue out at me as they walked away.

"I hate working this booth." I complained.

"Calm down. If you want take a break, go walk around." Nina said.

I exited the booth and walked around the crowded fair. After a while of walking around I landed in front of the fun house mirrors. I entered and noticed it was empty I walked into a room of being mirrors. As I walked in I heard something click shut. I turned around and instead of seeing a door I saw a mirror in its place.

I turned back around and walked deeper into the room. I looked around the room and saw my reflection in different shapes in each mirror. I walked closer to one where I saw something in the background. It looked like a person. I turned around and saw nothing. All of a sudden I heard a scream and the lights went out.

"Hello?" I asked. I heard a loud crashing and smashing noise in the darkness. The lights soon flickered on and I saw the shattered mess of glass surrounding me. I smelt a faint burning sound. All of a sudden one of the curtains was on fire I backed up and stepped on a piece of glass. I felt a sharp pain in my foot and something cold drizzling down. Soon enough all the curtains were on fire. I looked all around me and saw no exit. I began to cough from all the smoke. I was suddenly feeling light headed. My eyes began to feel heavy and I collapsed on the cold glassy floor.

**I hope you liked because I love this chapter! By the way people who review get cookies. Oh did you know that there is going to be a season two in 2012…I'm so excited! **


	4. Park Swings and Intense Questioning

**Amber's P.O.V.**

_I opened my eyes and found myself in a dark room. I couldn't see a thing. Walking forward I stretched my arms out trying to feel the things around me. Step by step I moved farther and suddenly a cold breeze filled my arms with goose bumps. A small shower of light hit my face. I could finally make out the objects around me… but there was nothing. "Hello? Anyone there?"_

_I walked forward scanning the area. All of a sudden a cold hand covered my mouth. I bit the hand and spun around to see a person… with no face. I suddenly felt an arm wrap around my waist. I began screaming but it seemed useless. I started kicking and swinging my arms around in an attempt to get free. I felt a stab of pain on my head. I let an ear shattering shriek as I was dragged out the room._

I sat up in my bed and looked around the room. Sighing, I settled my head on my pillow. I had spent a week in the hospital. It was my first day back, but since I entered the house at 12:00 AM no one knew I was home. I looked over at my alarm clock. 5:35 AM. Knowing I wouldn't be getting any more sleep I got out of bed and grabbed the crutches leaning on my night stand. I slowly used my crutches to lead me out the door. The doctor said I only needed them for 24 hours since I didn't have any serious damage done to my ankle. I creped down the stairs towards the kitchen. I walked over to the fridge and opened it up sticking my head inside. I hadn't eaten anything good the last week so I was starving. I grabbed everything that made my mouth water and loaded up my arms till I couldn't carry anymore. I pulled my head out the fridge and turned to see a body. I jumped back and all the things in my hands dropped to the floor.

"Amber?" Fabian asked.

"Yeah." I answered.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital?" He asked.

"I came home late. Now are you just going to stand there or are you going to help me clean up this mess?" I replied.

Fabian bent down and helped me pick up everything that fell on the floor. I turned back to the fridge and pulled out a carton of ice cream.

"Isn't it a bit early for ice cream?" he asked. I shrugged.

"I have barely eaten anything that stayed down this whole week." I replied.

Fabian nodded. I handed him a spoon and began to shovel some into my mouth. Fabian's face scrunched up and I couldn't help but laugh as he got a brain freeze. He put down his spoon and looked at me with a serious face.

"If you don't mind me asking, do you know how it happened?" He asked.

I looked down at the counter top. "I'm not hungry anymore." I said as I took the ice cream and put it back in the fridge. "I didn't mean to upset you." Fabian said with a regretful face.

I put on my best smile and said. "It's fine." That sad feeling washed over me and I looked down at my ankle. It felt alright… _Maybe I should take a trip to the country._

I looked up at Fabian. "Get dressed."

He raised an eyebrow but didn't protest. I walked back up to my room and got dressed quickly. I walked down the stairs slowly and met Fabian at the bottom of the steps.

"Where are we going?" he asked. I ignored his question and walked out the door. Fabian followed behind me.

(***)

"We've been walking for hours… Now can you tell me where were going?" he asked again.

I pointed to the small playground only a few feet from us now.

"A playground?" He asked. I rolled my eyes at him and walked towards it. I sat on a swing and looked straight ahead. "Is this some sort of childhood memory?" He asked.

"No, I just kept walking forward and saw it." I answered. He nodded and sat beside me on the nearest swing.

"I've never seen you act like this." He said.

"Like what?" I asked.

"I don't know… different." He replied.

"I guess I've just hid it." I said.

He nodded and stood up. "High or low?" He asked.

"High." I answered with a smile. He pulled my swing back and let go.

**Nina's P.O.V.**

I sat at the breakfast table eating a bowl of cereal. Everyone was beginning to wake up and enter the room. Mick walked in and sat in his seat.

"Fabian's missing." He said.

"Missing?" I asked. He passed me a piece of paper that had Fabian's handwriting on it.

_Mick, might be out for awhile… if anyone asks I'm with my Uncle._

_-Fabian_

"That's all he wrote?" I asked. Mick nodded as he poured himself a glass of orange juice.

"Amber came home." Patricia confessed.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"It smelt like hairspray and perfume when I entered the bathroom." She explained.

"I wonder where she is…" I said.

"She also left a note on the door. _Might be out for awhile… Came back from the hospital late. See you all later. –Amber._"

"Weird that Fabian and her are both out." Mara said from her seat.

"What if they're both lying and are actually out together." Patricia guessed.

I noticed Mick's eyes widened. "Something wrong?" I asked. He didn't respond.

"Mick?" Mara asked.

"Hmm?" He said as he snapped out of his trance.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine, just sleepy. I think I'll be taking a nap now." He said as he stood up and left the room.

I went back to my breakfast and tried to ignore the suspicion I was getting.

(***)

I leaned against the doorframe as Mick was rummaging through the refrigerator. He stood up and closed the fridge. When he turned he jumped back, startled to see me.

"You know something." I said pointing a finger at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Mick denied.

"Tell me the truth." I demanded.

"I told you, I don't know what you're talking about." He replied.

"Please Mick, I need to know if Fabian has been lying to me." I pleaded.

Mick sighed. "Fine, but you can't tell him that I told you this."

I nodded and waited for Mick to begin talking.

"Well, the other day when Fabian and Amber came home, they were actually together. And they're probably together, which isn't a good thing after what he told me a few weeks ago." Mick confessed.

"What did he tell you?" I asked.

"I can't say. It's… private." Mick said with a nod of his head.

I raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?" Mara asked as Patricia, Joy, and her entered the room.

"Nothing." Mick said as he entered the living area.

"You are not avoiding the question." I replied as I followed him. Patricia, Mara, and Joy entered the living area, interested in our conversation.

"It isn't something I can say." Mick said backing up towards the couch.

"Just tell me." I begged.

Mick shook his head. "What's going on?" Alfie asked as Jerome and him entered the room.

"Nothing." Mick answered.

"Mick, at least answer this." I said.

Mick hesitated a bit, but then nodded. "Does Fabian have feelings for Amber?"

I was getting scared as time ticked and he still hadn't answered. All of a sudden the phone rang, breaking the silence.

"I'll get that!" Mick shouted as he rushed to the phone.

A wave of sadness washed over my face and I took a seat on the coach. Mara sat beside me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"I told you Fabian was cheating." Patricia declared.

"Patricia!" Joy said as she smacked her arm.

I kept my eyes glued to the floor.

"Wait, Amber would never date Fabian behind my back, right?" Alfie asked.

"We can't be sure." Jerome answered with a shrug.

Alfie took a seat beside me. He wore the same sad look I had on my face.

**Amber's P.O.V.**

We both approached the door. Fabian suggested we go back home saying everyone would want to see me. I opened it up and we both entered the house. We were surprised to see everyone seated in the living room. _Looks like they're discussing something._

The talking stopped and everyone looked up at the two of us. Nina bolted from her seat and enveloped me in a hug. "Are you alright?" She asked me. I couldn't help but laugh.

Nina smiled and then looked over at Fabian and then back at me.

"Did you two go somewhere… together?" Fabian wore a nervous look on his face.

"No, we saw each other on our way home." I covered for him. Nina nodded and led me into the living area.

I talked to everyone as they asked questions. After a while everyone left the room. I walked over to the dining area and sat on a chair. I heard footsteps and someone stop in front of me. I looked up into the eyes of Jerome.

"Did you enjoy your hospital visit?" He asked.

"It was ok." I answered.

"Good… cause it won't be your last one." He said. Realization hit my face. He had threatened me before the fair… It was him, he hurt me. He almost killed me. I knew something wasn't right… Jerome isn't himself. He's changed. I have to tell someone… but who will believe me?

I stood up and turned to the doorway that Jerome was leaning against.

"You aren't Jerome…" I said.

A creepy smiled spread on his face. "No, I'm much more."

He stepped forward and stood in front of me. "I don't like games, but I'll play if I have too." He gripped my arm tightly and let go.

"This is only the beginning." Jerome walked out the room with a satisfied smirk.

I looked down at my arm and felt a burning feeling. _Jerome or whoever it is, is out to get me. And I think I know why._ Flashbacks entered my mind as I thought back to the day where everything seemed to go wrong… _He was trying to warn me._

**Fabian's P.O.V.**

"Hey." I greeted Nina as she entered my room.

"You need to tell me the truth." She said.

"About what?" I asked.

"Do you have feelings for Amber?" She asked. I could see the worry in her eyes.

"No, I'm crazy about you. You know that." I answered.

"Then where were you?" She asked.

"I was with my uncle." I said.

"You promise? You wouldn't lie to me right?" She asked.

"Of course, I would never lie to you." I replied. I could tell a weight had been lifted off her shoulders at that moment. I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug.

"I love you." She told me.

"I love you too." I replied.

I gave a soft and gentle kiss on the lips. "Good night." She said as she exited the room.

At that moment Mick entered the room. "You told Nina."

"She got it out of me." Mick confessed.

"It's fine… I told her I loved her." I said.

"That's great." He replied.

"Yeah…" I said as I looked down at the floor.

"But you're having second thoughts." Mick concluded.

I just looked at him with a blank face before I lay down on my bed, letting Mick's sentence hang in the air.

**I'm back. It was a strange break because of Hurricane Irene which hit my state, but I'm still alive as you can tell. Sorry it isn't an awesome chapter. I tried my best but I had no idea what to do for this chapter. You probably hate it. *sigh* I'll try and make the next one way better. Hopefully this will do. Till next time…**

**Sorry about any mistakes that may be in this chapter and tell me if I made the characters seem OOC cause I think I did.**


	5. Unexpected Tricks and Treats

**AN: **I've decided to do something so weird, so crazy that you might stop reading the story. I don't know why but I decided to do something different. And by the way I'm a strange person. I'm adding a Mick/Nina storyline. I don't actually like them together but it'll create an interesting plot line which will help me. So before you say ewe and turn away from the computer I want you to know that I understand if you don't like it. Especially since they've barely said two words to each other on the show. It may be weird but this story is all about weird events and pairings, so if this appalls you so much you might as well get off this page. Enjoy! And Happy Halloween!

**Nina's P.O.V.**

"We're going to be trapped here forever…" Mick whined.

"No we're not. Someone will find us." I reassured him. I walked over to the classroom door and peered through the window. I sighed and then turned back to Mick, who was now lying down on the teacher's desk. We were stuck in a classroom together. Why? Well, that's simple. Mick's an idiot…

_**Earlier that day…**_

We all sat at the breakfast table while Mara walked around us. "You all know your jobs for the haunted house now. Any questions?"

"Do I really have to be a ghost?" Fabian asked.

Mara sighed. "Yes, you have to pop out and frighten everyone."

"But I don't know how to scare people." Fabian replied.

Mara smacked her forehead with the clipboard in her hand. "Then learn. It's Halloween everyone. We have to scare people to the point where they need a new pair of underwear."

"Is that even possible?" I asked.

Alfie nodded his head. "Very possible actually."

"Okay now let's get to work. Mick can you help me grab the decorations?" Mara asked.

Mick nodded and followed her out the room. Soon everyone was out the house and off to work.

**Amber's P.O.V.**

Everyone began to exit the room. I stayed seated for awhile and waited for Jerome to leave the room. As he did he paused in front of me. "Does it sting?"

I looked down at my wrist and saw the red and pink marks. I pulled up my sleeve and covered it. A satisfying smirk settled on his face. As he walked away I took hold of his wrist and said "I know you're in their Jerome… Don't make me get you out."

Jerome pulled his arm away. I looked up at him and for a brief moment something changed in his eyes. "Amber…"

Jerome shook his head and the cold dark look returned. He exited the room. _Jerome's still in there…_ I stood up and headed to the main building.

**Nina's P.O.V.**

I walked down the hallway and could hear someone struggling. A loud crash echoed through my ears. I approached the room and peered inside. Mick stood over a fallen box that was full of decorations. He looked upset. I took a step in the room and knocked on the door. Mick turned to face me. "Nina…"

I smiled. "So what did the evil box do to you?"

Mick sighed. "There wef spikel."

"What?" I asked.

"There wes spiker." He mumbled.

"What?" I asked again.

"There was a spider!" He shouted. A small smile formed on my face. It grew and soon turned into a laugh.

"That isn't funny!" He pouted.

"Yeah it is, but don't worry I won't tell anyone you were scared of a little spider." I replied. Mick smiled a bit and also began laughing.

"Why are you laughing?" I asked.

"The little spider is on your head." He said between laughs. My eyes went wide and I swatted at the top of my head. I let out a shriek when I felt something on my hand. The spider came sailing down and landed on the floor. It tried to scurry away but I stomped on it. I sighed and brushed my hair out of my face.

"Don't worry I won't tell anyone you were afraid of a little spider." Mick teased. I rolled my eyes but I couldn't help but crack a smile.

"So have you come to help me?" Mick asked.

"I was just wandering around the school." I answered.

He nodded his head. "Well since you're here…" He waved towards the box of decorations. I shrugged and stepped further into the room.

**Mara's P.O.V.**

"No, it goes there." I instructed. "You know what, I'll do it myself." I took the box out of Fabian's hands and placed it on a table.

"Why isn't anyone working!" I shouted.

"We're working your just being bossy." Patricia dropped her paint brush at my feet. "Who made you the boss of everyone?"

"I'm head of the committee."I answered.

"But you're not the only one in it." Alfie added.

"I'm in charge. We decided that at the first meeting." I reminded everyone.

"No, you decided while we sat and nodded our heads to anything we heard." Fabian explained.

"You agree with me, right Jerome?" I asked.

Jerome shrugged. "I honestly don't care."

I sighed. "Fine. Do the work on your own… I'm done." I dropped my clipboard and exited the room. As I did I heard cheers behind me. _ I didn't micro manage. I kept things in order. Without me they'll crash and burn. They'll be begging for my help… yeah they will._

**Amber's P.O.V.**

I sat at a table in the back of the room, picking at the candy in the bowls. Fabian sat beside me. "We're all going to change into our costumes. You coming?"

I nodded my head and stood up. I suddenly noticed something change in Fabian's eyes. He grabbed my wrist and pulled my sleeve down. "What is this?"

I snapped my arm away and looked down at the floor. "Nothing."

He took hold of my arm again and brought it up to my face. "That isn't nothing." I pulled my arm away once more.

"Why do you care?" I snapped. I passed by him and made my way to the front of the room. As I did someone grabbed my arm and spun me around. "I'm not in the mood Alfie."

"Well, you must have mistaken me for someone else." A cold voice said. I looked up into the eyes of Jerome.

"Let go of me." I said as I pulled on my arm. He smirked. "Little Amber doesn't want to have fun?"

"Let go or I'll scream." I threatened. He narrowed his eyes at me. "Would you really do that?"

I let out an ear shattering shriek. Jerome released my arm. "I hope you have fun," he backed away, "cause I know I will." And with that he disappeared. I looked down at the arm he had taken hold of and a mark rested on it. I lifted it up and saw a crest surrounded by fire. My eyes began to feel heavy and everything around me went blurry. I gripped the table beside me and steadied myself. My head was throbbing with pain. It felt as if it were going to explode. I brought a hand up to my temple and rubbed it in small circles. _I can also play mind games…_

A voice echoed through my head. My stomach suddenly hurt a lot. I brought my hand down to it and gasped. Next was my chest. It felt as if someone was clutching my heart and pulling. I groaned and lost feeling in my arm. I crumpled to the ground. I heard a bunch of commotion going on around me. The last thing I saw before my eyes sealed shut was a smiling face.

**Nina's P.O.V.**

My phone vibrated against my leg. I pulled it out of my pocket and looked at the message. My eyes went wide.

"Is something wrong?" Mick asked.

"Amber's been hurt." I dropped what I was doing and walked towards the closed door. As I took hold of the handle I pulled. Nothing. I pulled harder and the door stayed still.

"Umm… the door won't open." I said. Mick walked over to the door and gripped the handle tightly. He pulled with all his might but it wouldn't budge. Mick looked down at the floor.

"I think I know why it's stuck." He said.

"Why?" I asked.

"I may have accidentally put tough glue on the door. It tries quickly, but takes hours to be removed." Mick answered.

"Why did you put tough glue on the door?" I asked.

Mick shrugged. "I guess we're stuck." I sighed.

_**Present…**_

"Pulling won't do anything." He informed me.

"I know." I let go of the door and took a seat in the back of the classroom.

"So…" Mick stretched out the word.

"So…" I also said. "Does Fabian tell you things?"

"Yeah. He tells me a lot of things." Mick replied.

"I told him I loved him the other day and I was wondering…" I didn't finish the sentence.

"If we talked? Well, we did." He said.

"And what did he say?" I asked.

Mick sat up. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I think you need to find out yourself."

"Mick, if you know something tell me. I've been doubting that this will work and I need something to lean on. Something to let me know if this is real."

"He said," Mick paused, "he didn't mean it."

I suddenly felt my heart shatter into a million pieces. "He's in love with Amber." Even smaller pieces. "He was going to tell you tonight." And it was gone. I sat there. I felt like crying, but I didn't. A part of me knew it wouldn't last.

Mick stood up and walked over to me. He pulled me out of my seat and into a tight hug. I wrapped my arms around him and let it all out. "How long?"

Mick pulled away for a moment. "What?"

"How long has he had a crush on Amber?" I asked.

"A few months now." Mick answered. I pulled Mick back into the hug and let it go. Tears streamed down my face. "How could he… I thought he loved me." Mick stroked my hair and whispered to me.

"If you were doubting the relationship then why are you so upset?"

I pulled away. "I don't know…"

"You knew it wouldn't last because you knew what you felt wasn't more than what you wanted to feel. You forced yourself to like him." And his words of wisdom hung in the air for a moment and suddenly I laughed. Mick stared at me as if I had two heads. "What's so funny?"

"It's just, when did you get so wise?" I laughed. Mick smiled a bit. "I can be wise."

I tried to hold the laughter in. "It just isn't you."

Mick raised an eyebrow. "Then what is me?"

I shrugged. "I don't know." The laughter had died down and I suddenly realized how close we were to each other. I felt Mick's warm breath on my face. "What about you?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Mick asked.

"You and Mara?" I explained.

"I don't know…" He spoke slowly. I suddenly had the urge to close the space between us, but before I could the door opened.

**Amber's P.O.V. **

My eyes fluttered open and I could make out a figure standing beside me. "Amber, are you okay?"

"Alfie… My head hurts…" I said slowly.

Alfie gave me a kind smile. "You'll be alright." He kissed my forehead and then stood up. He exited the room. After a few seconds someone else entered.

"Who's there?" I asked.

"Me of course." Jerome's cold voice filled my ear.

"You did this to me. You keep harming me. If you're going to kill me just do it." I said.

He tsked. "Now, if I wanted to do that I would have already. I like to see people suffer Amber. I get so much joy out of watching you suffer."

"You're sick." I said in disgust. Jerome smiled. He brought his hand to my face and cupped my cheek. The smile turned into a smirk and he ran a finger down the side of my face.

"It's a shame really. I mean, you're so beautiful. It'd be sad to watch you die." He sighed. He brought his hand back up to my face and held it. I shook it but he wouldn't release his hold. He bent down, his face only a few centimeters away. "What a treasure you are." And then he leaned down and kissed me. His lips felt smooth against mine. A tingle ran down my spine at the contact. It was small and I refused to kiss back, but it was hard.

That's what surprised me. It was hard to pull away. It was hard not to give in. He pulled away and looked at me and I saw it. Jerome was himself for that small moment. The kiss brought him out. We gazed at each other for awhile before he pressed his lips against mine once more. This time I gave in. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down towards me, making the kiss stronger. It was sweet and simple. It wasn't over the top at the moment, but then it became more passionate. His tongue slipped into my slightly opened mouth and I didn't stop him. I let him. And just like that I forgot that he was the reason I was sitting in the hospital for the second time. I forgot that I had a boyfriend. I forgot that it was wrong in every way possible. But it didn't make me stop… and just like that things became heated. Jerome ran his hands up my sides slowly and my eyes closed at the sensation racing through my body.

_I have a boyfriend. What am I doing? Right, I'm kissing Jerome, my boyfriend's best friend. The person that tried to kill me today. Why aren't I pulling away? Why am I letting him touch me in the first place? Snap out of it Amber. Snap out of it. But…_

My mind went blank as I realized that my shirt was off and so was his. I suddenly got my common sense back and pulled away.

He stared at me. "Your back."

He nodded slowly. "He's still there. He's inside me. I'm back for now, but he'll take over again soon."

I nodded at that statement and then looked down and remembered I had no shirt on. "Umm… Can you pass me that?"

Jerome picked up my shirt and handed it to me. He put his back on and headed to the door. Before he left he turned back to me. "What just happened?"

I shrugged. "You tell me." And with that he left. I sighed and leaned against my pillow for a moment. _I kissed Jerome… and almost something more…_

**AN:** Hope you like cause I worked my butt off on this. Tell me about any mistakes. I will read it and revise later, but for now the horrible mistakes must stay. Hope you enjoyed your Halloween surprise.


	6. Ancient Groups and Secret Affairs

**Amber's POV**

I tapped my pencil repeatedly on the desk. Sighing, I turned my head and glanced at Jerome. I quickly snapped my head back. It had passed a total of three days since the incident. I refused to talk to Jerome about it, so every time he came in my direction I made a run for it. Also, Nina was being more closed off to me. I could barely trust the people around me without worrying that they would put me in a hospital. Fabian was beginning to suffocate me and I couldn't take it. Not even spending time with Alfie helped and he was always able to lift my mood. Things were definitely at its low point for me.

"Leave your tests on my desk on your way out." I heard our new teacher, Mr. Finnegan say. I lifted my head and noticed that everyone was getting ready to exit the classroom. I stared down at my blank test and mentally scowled at myself.

I stood up and walked up to Mr. Finnegan and dropped my blank test booklet on his desk. "Amber, can I speak to you for a moment?"

I nodded. "You've been slacking off in class. You need to bring your grades up or I'm going to be forced to fail you."

"What? Is there anything that can help improve my grade?"

Mr. Finnegan sighed. "If you get a B or higher on the next test. I'll also get you a tutor. You may go now." As I exited the room I heard him call Mick.

**Mick's POV**

"You're failing Mr. Campbell. If you don't raise your grades I will fail you."

I ran a hand through my hair. "Can't I get a tutor or something?"

"I suppose, but it has to be one of my top students." Mr. Finnegan rummaged through a couple of papers on his desk. "Nina Martin. She'll tutor you."

"Nina? What about someone else?" I asked anxiously.

"She's the best choice for you boy. I advise you to do as I say. I'll talk to Nina today, you're free to go." Mr. Finnegan ended the conversation.

I trudged out the room and into the still crowded hallways. I hadn't really discussed what happened the day of the Halloween dance with Nina. We seemed to be avoiding each other. Honestly, I wasn't ready to face her, but my grade depended on it.

We almost kissed in a classroom we got trapped in and I didn't even feel the tiniest bit guilty. We were both in relationships. _I have a girlfriend… I should feel guilty… shouldn't I?_

**Amber's POV**

I decided to go back to the house for lunch. I was sitting on the sofa reading a magazine when I heard the front door open and click shut. I looked up from my magazine and saw the person I least expected to be at the house, Jerome. I quickly stood up and began to exit the room, but was stopped by his voice.

"Amber? Can we talk?"

His voice sounded unusually timid for some reason. I turned to face him and offered him a small smile. "About?" I asked.

"I think you know what." He answered. I sighed and headed back to my spot on the sofa, setting my magazine down in front of me.

"Okay… Let's talk."

Jerome nervously ran a hand through his hair. "I want to apologize for the things _I_ did to you."

I shook my head. "That wasn't you."

Jerome glanced down at my arm and noticed something. He hesitantly brought his hand forward and touched my arm, slightly pulling up my sleeve. "The symbol of chaos."

"What?" I asked.

"That crest on your arm it's a symbol of this ancient group I read about. They were called chaos." A dark look suddenly filled his face. "My dad… he was one of them."

"Your dad?" I was suddenly really confused.

Jerome sighed. "It's complicated. Maybe we should discuss it over coffee."

"I don't know. I promised Alfie I'd go out with him after school. He has this big surprise planned for me."

"Right, Alfie. I was meaning to talk to you about that kiss." Jerome said.

"The kiss… I honestly have nothing to say." I replied.

"Of course. If you don't mind me asking, did you feel anything?" Jerome asked.

"What?" I asked.

He chuckled a bit. "You must think I'm mad, but I sort of felt a little tinge of guilt and something else."

I glanced down at the floor and then back at Jerome. He looked at me for a few seconds before standing up and walking out the room. I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. "Yes, the answer's yes."

Jerome turned back to me. "Oh…"

I stood up from my seat and walked up to him cautiously. "Is that a bad thing?"

I saw something shift in Jerome's eyes almost like he was contemplating something. "Maybe..." His breath was warm as it hit my face. I could feel my heart speed up as he brought his hand up and cupped my cheek leaning in ever so slightly till he was barely centimeters away. At that very moment the front door opened causing Jerome and I to jump apart.

"Hey guys." Alfie's happy voice greeted. "You ready to go?" Alfie's voice was like ice cold water hitting my face.

I looked at Alfie, then Jerome, and then back at Alfie. I nodded and said, "Ready." I walked out the door with Alfie, but glanced back at last minute.

**Nina's POV**

"So you need help with English?" I asked.

"Literature? Yeah, I've been failing." Mick answered.

I nodded. "I don't mind helping you."

"Great, so let's get started." Mick opened up the literature textbook in front of us. He skimmed the page quickly and then turned to look at me. "What are we going to do first?"

"Since we're studying William Shakespeare I thought we should read some of his work." I answered.

"Who's William Shakespeare?" Mick asked.

"Hamlet? Shakespeare's sonnets?" I named some of his work.

Mick shook his head. "Doesn't ring a bell."

"Romeo and Juliet?" I added.

"I've heard of that one… Do we actually have to read it though? Can't we just watch the movie?"

I cracked a smile at that question. "I guess, but if we do you still have to read the book."

"Come on, can't we just watch it?" Mick pleaded.

"No," I explained, "They change things in the movie and don't put every single detail that's in the book."

"Okay, so who is this William?" Mick asked.

"He was an English poet and play writer that lived in the late 1500s and early 1600s."

"Interesting… Umm, Nina if you don't mind me asking I was wondering about that night during the Halloween dance." Mick stated.

"Oh," I offered him a small smile, "What exactly were you wondering about?"

"Before we were found we were about to do something…" Mick trailed off.

"Mick," I began, "We should really get back to work."

"We can't avoid the topic forever!" Mick exclaimed.

I shook my head. "I know, but I really want too."

"Maybe we should study later." Mick stood up and held his bedroom door open for me.

"Mick," I paused not knowing what to say next.

"Just go." He said calmly. I collected my things and headed out the door. As I walked up to my room I heard the door slam shut.

(***)

"Time for supper!" I heard Trudy call from downstairs. I gathered a few books in my hands and exited my room. As I headed downstairs everything in my arms suddenly slipped and fell to the floor. "Great…"

I bent down to pick up my things. "Do you need any help?" A voice asked.

I glanced up and saw Fabian standing over me. "No, I'm fine."

Fabian bent down anyways and picked up a few of my books. "Here," He handed them back to me when I stood up.

"Thanks," I went around him, but was stopped by him grabbing my wrist. "Nina, is everything okay?"

I turned back to him and gave him the best smile I could offer. "I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"

"You've been avoiding me lately." He said.

"Fabian, not right now." I responded.

"Just tell me what's wrong." He demanded.

I sighed. "You want to know what's wrong. Fine, it's you."

"What are you talking about Nina?" He asked.

"You've been lying to me all this time…" I chuckled a bit. "I should've known you didn't mean it."

"Mean what Nina? You're really confusing me." Fabian stated.

"You said you loved me and I fell for it. I believed you, but it was all in my head."

Fabian shook his head. "Nothing was in your head. I do love you."

"When were you going to tell me?" I could feel all the emotions I had bottled up inside rise up and finally come out.

"Tell you what?" He asked. The look of utter confusion on his face made me even more upset. He had no clue what I was talking about.

"That you were in love with my best friend!" I shouted.

Fabian kept his mouth shut at that sudden statement. "Yeah, I know the truth Fabian."

"Nina…" He trailed off.

"Save it," I exclaimed. "I don't want an explanation from you."

I began to walk away from Fabian. Suddenly, I was stopped by his voice. "Does that mean we're over?"

I stayed in my spot for another second before I continued walking and left the question unanswered. I found myself knocking on Fabian and Mick's door. Mick opened the door. "Nina, why are you crying?" I brought my hand up to my cheek and felt the tears dripping down. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not." I answered. "Can we talk?"

Mick examined me for a moment before nodding his head. He opened the door further allowing me to step into the room. Once I entered I took a seat on his bed. "Are you going to tell me what happened?" He asked as he took a seat beside me.

"Maybe later. I actually wanted to talk about that night in the classroom." I informed him.

Mick cleared his throat. "Right…" I could sense that he was tense because of the topic.

"I'll start. You were just comforting me. You're in a relationship. It was probably just me going a bit crazy." I said.

"Remember what I told you about Mara and I?" Mick asked.

I shook my head. "Not really. Everything sort of became a blur when you inched towards me."

"I told you that I wasn't sure about Mara and that maybe we weren't right." Mick was now seated beside me only a foot away.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"I don't know." He replied.

"Mick, I don't want a relationship. Not right after all the drama with Fabian." I explained.

He nodded. "I never said anything about a relationship."

"Oh… then what do you want?" I asked. He was now only several inches away.

"I want a lot of things, but right now the only thing I want is you." He answered. We stared at each other for a few more seconds before our lips crashed together. I felt a rush of emotions flutter in my body. Confusion, worry, lust, and relief. Everything in my head was saying stop, but it was as if my body couldn't hear my brain and continued what I was doing. Then I suddenly noticed that we were on his bed, kissing, and it didn't exactly seem like the most PG-13 moment in one of those movies I loved where they just kissed and they weren't lying on a bed. Mick pulled away and simply looked at me. "What?" I asked.

"You seem lost…" Mick responded.

"No," I bit my lower lip. "Just a bit overwhelmed. My head can't properly think when I'm around you for some reason and I think that's going to make me say or do something really stupid. I don't want to embarrass myself and I feel like I will. I screw things up easily for no apparent reason and it bothers me. I don't understand why I'm talking so fast and why my palms are so sweaty. You're you and I'm me, so why is my heart thumping really hard in my chest?" The slur of words left my mouth quickly.

"Are you done?" He asked.

"Yeah," I nodded, "Why, is-" Ignoring me Mick pressed his lips against mine in a quick and surprising motion. I responded by wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him closer to me. The kiss deepened and that rush of emotions kicked in as it continued. I suddenly fell back on the bed causing Mick to press against me. My brain wasn't functioning properly because I didn't push him off like I usually did when a guy and I were in that situation. At that very moment, Mick ran his hands down my sides giving me goose bumps and sending chills up my spine.

"We should go eat dinner." Mick stopped what we were previously doing.

My mind was still a bit blurry, but I nodded in agreement. He sat up and walked to the door before glancing back at me. "Are you coming?" I looked in his direction and nodded before getting up and following him out the room.

(***)

To say we weren't bombarded with questions was an understatement. Apparently my friends were a bit curious as to why I was twenty minutes late to dinner. "I was just caught up in a book I was reading." I answered. As I spoke I felt Fabian's eyes on me, but I didn't dare look at him. "Actually, I think I'm going to finish that book. I set my fork down on my plate and excused myself from dinner before running up the stairs to my room. As soon as I entered my room I sat on my bed and screamed into my pillow. I let out a sigh of relief and placed my pillow beside me before lying down and staring at the ceiling.

**Amber's POV**

After dinner everyone exited the dining room leaving me with Jerome. I walked up to him and took a seat close to him. "I want to know more about what you were telling me. You know, chaos."

Jerome glanced down at his hands. "It's a long story Amber. It's also complicated."

"I can handle long and complicated." I stated.

He sighed. "Back in ancient Egypt there was a group of men who wanted to overthrow the gods. They didn't believe in what they were doing and came up with a plan to steal the gods' power. Of course someone figured it out before they could even go through with it. They were all executed, or so people believe. One of them survived and started a life outside of Egypt. On his sons' 17th birthday he told him about the group and how they needed to gain the power to stop the destruction of the earth. A modern day member of chaos believes the god's power is hidden in an object that belonged to the god. That object is the Fortuna jewel. Each god supposedly had one, but they were lost in history and never seen by a living eye. Chaos is after those jewels and if they find them all they will have the power of Set, the god of chaos. Not only that but chaos believes fire is the start to a pure world so each member of chaos harbors the ability of fire. Their mission is to burn down the earth, and if they find all the jewels and release chaos, they will succeed. When someone is turned they are over taken by a powerful force and can be corrupted."

"You recently turned seventeen." I said.

Jerome nodded. "I don't know how I was able to get control back, but it has something to do with what happened on the day of the Halloween dance."

"After we kissed you returned to your normal self." I informed him.

"Yeah… the kiss," Jerome nodded. "We haven't really talked about it."

"It was a mistake." I stated.

"I understand," He replied, "But can a mistake happen twice?" Suddenly, he leaned in and kissed me. It was just a small average kiss and ended quickly. When we pulled away I looked into his eyes and saw something different. A smirk suddenly consumed his face and I realized what had just happened.

"No…" I whispered.

"I'm back," Jerome gave her an evil smile. He got out his chair. "It feels good."

"What have you done?" I asked.

"I did what was needed to successfully complete my mission and no one is going to stop me. Not even you."

"We'll see." I spat out. Jerome simply smiled as he walked out the room. I looked down at my hands and realized they were now fists. I shook my head knowing I had to do something. _I have to save Jerome from himself…_

_AN: So sorry for not updating, but I didn't have much time. I hope the chapter is good and you enjoy it. Sorry for any mistakes and for my tardiness. I will revise and edit later._

_-Karina  
><em>


	7. Strange Attractions and Prom Dresses

**Amber's P.O.V.**

The next morning, I woke up earlier than usual. My mind was still trying to process everything that had happened yesterday. I didn't understand how Jerome could gain control and lose control. _There has to be a way to get Jerome back permanently._

"Good morning Amber." A voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"What do you want?" I replied coldly.

Jerome smiled. "Just some breakfast." He took a seat at the table and grabbed a banana from the bowl in the middle.

I stared at him for awhile before walking to my seat and sitting down. A moment of silence passed by before I finally decided to speak. Looking him dead in the eye I asked, "Where's Jerome?"

Jerome gave me a sly smile. "He's gone and is never coming back."

"It was the kiss wasn't it?" I asked.

Jerome twirled a butter knife in his hands. "Yeah, apparently you have quite the affect on him. But I've got full control now, so your little tricks won't work."

"I'm not so sure about that..." I mumbled.

"Really? Then kiss me."

I glared at the blonde. "I'm not falling for that."

Jerome raised an eyebrow. "Falling for what?"

I shook my head. "I'm going to get rid of you, one way or another."

"Oh Amber," Jerome smirked. "I love your enthusiasm. Too bad it's not going to get you anywhere."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you." I informed him.

"Face it Amber. It's you against me. You'll never win. Not in a million years."

"That's what you think." I snapped.

"No, that's what I know." Jerome responded. "You should just accept that."

"Never." I spat out. Jerome stood up from his seat and strode over to me. He stood behind me as he ran a hand up my side. I shivered at his gentle touch. "Like I said, I always win."

I glanced at him briefly and saw that mischievous glint in his eyes. I suddenly felt my mind blur almost as if all my thoughts had disappeared. I shook my head and tried to focus, but it appeared as if something was controlling me. "It seems like I have as much power over you as you have on Jerome."

I felt my eyes flutter shut as Jerome's warm breath hit my neck. Jerome placed a finger under my chin and forced me to look at him. "I-I won't let you win." I stuttered.

He chuckled. "You already have." Suddenly, Jerome closed the small space between us. I could feel all my walls go down. It was as if he had unlocked me and all my secrets had been revealed. Jerome pushed back the chair I was seated in and pulled me up to my feet, pressing me up against the wall. One of Jerome's hands was behind my neck while the other was at my waist.

I could feel the kiss becoming more intense as his tongue entered my mouth. After a few more seconds Jerome pulled away and lowered his head to my neck where he sucked on the smooth flesh that was exposed. I couldn't help, but let a soft moan escape my lips at the pleasure. And then I heard something. I pushed Jerome away from me right before Mara entered the room.

"Morning." Mara greeted.

"Good morning Mara. It's a lovely day, isn't it?" Jerome replied. I glanced between the two before saying a quick, "Bye."

I was walking out the room when I heard Jerome's voice. "Amber, we'll continue our little discussion later." I didn't even have to look back to know that he was smirking.

**Mick's POV**

"It's going to be great Mick. I've already got everything planned. First we're-," Mara rambled on as she talked about the prom that was taking place in a few days. I nodded my head as I pretended to listen to her rant.

"Mick! Mick! Are you even listening?" Mara snapped me out of my daze. I offered her a smile and nodded. "Of course."

Mara turned her head and looked behind her. "Are you staring at Nina?"

I glanced at the girl sitting across from us with a book in her hand. "No."

Mara stared at me before shrugging and proceeding to speak. "I got a navy blue dress that I think would go great with that violet tie of yours."

"Mara," I paused for a moment, "I've been meaning to tell you something."

Mara put her hand over mine. "What is it?"

"Well… I-I-I'm so excited for prom." I choked out. Mara grinned. "I know, so am I. I have to go talk to Patricia, but I'll see you later." She planted a kiss on my lips before exiting the room.

I shook my head. "Stupid…" I looked over at where Nina was seated, but she was no longer there. Suddenly, I heard the door slam shut. I bolted up from my seat and tried to find Nina. As I roamed every possible place in the house where she might be, I ran into Fabian. "I need to talk to you Mick. It's about Nina."

"What is it?" I asked as I tried to get around him.

"We sort of broke up a few days ago and I need a way to get her back." Fabian explained.

"Get her back?" This caught my attention. "Just give her a bit of space I'm share she'll realize breaking up with you was a mistake."

"Thanks Mick." As he spoke I was already out of Anubis house. I ran as far as my legs could take me till I reached the fountain in the middle of the school. It was usually crowded, but only one girl was there. She was seated at the edge of the fountain. I approached Nina carefully before tapping her on the shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Nina turned to face me and I could see the rage on her face. "Yeah, of course. Why don't you go run along and kiss your pretty little girlfriend?"

I sighed. "Is that why you're upset? I was going to break up with Mara, but she's so excited about prom. I don't want to be a jerk by breaking up with her days before it even happens."

Nina turned her head back to look at the fountain. "Come on, don't be mad." I pleaded. Nina stayed silent and continued to ignore me. "Fine, if that's how it's going to be then…"

Without any warning I pushed her into the fountain. Nina let out a shriek right before she hit the freezing cold water. She gasped as she sat up. She took my arm and pulled me into the fountain with her. I collided with the water creating a huge splash. "Now we're even." Nina declared.

I smiled as I splashed water towards her. She did the same and before I knew it we were playing in the fountain. As Nina laughed I couldn't help, but examine how her beautiful face lit up.

"What?" Nina caught me staring. Without saying anything I leaned in and pressed my lips against hers. I placed a hand behind her neck and she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me closer. Suddenly, I heard a loud sound echo off the fountain. Nina and I pulled apart and examined the area. "What was that?" I asked.

"I don't know, but I think we should get out of here." Nina stood up and stepped out the fountain. I followed her example and we both walked back to Anubis house.

**Nina's P.O.V.**

As soon as I got back to Anubis house I descended to my room. Amber was seated on her bed with the latest fashion magazine. "What are you looking at?"

Amber lowered the magazine and stared at me as if I had three heads. "Dresses! The prom is in three days Nina. Did you forget?"

"Oh…" I took a seat in front of the mirror. "I'm not going."

"What! Why?" Amber bolted up from her spot on the bed.

I sighed before turning to face her. "Fabian and I broke up."

"What? Why didn't you tell me?"

I shrugged. "I didn't tell anyone."

"Well… who cares? You're going to dress up and go to the dance by yourself. Fabian will be drooling when he sees you. He'll beg for your forgiveness." Amber stated.

I offered her a smile. "Thanks, but I'd rather stay home."

Amber narrowed her eyes at me. "No, I will not allow that. Come on."

She pulled me out of my seat and grabbed her purse before heading to the door. "Where are we going?"

Amber turned to look at me. Her eyes twinkled with excitement like they used to before the whole Jerome incident. "Dress shopping!"

(***)

"Hmm…" Amber examined the dress as I stood on the stand in the middle of the store. "The color purple really works for you, but it's a bit too fluffy."

"You think?" I patted down the dress and tried to keep it from rising up.

Amber picked up a dress that lied beside her and tossed it to me. "Try this one on."

I sighed before walking off the stand and heading to the dressing rooms. Once I changed out the fluffy purple dress, I examined the one Amber had just given me. It was a short strapless silk dress that stopped a bit higher than my knees. It was pale lavender with black lace lining the top. A thin black ribbon was tied around the waistline and a few black ruffles could be seen at the very tip of the dress from underneath it. It was beautiful… and expensive.

After I put it on I stepped out of the dressing room. "This is it! Nina, this is your dress."

I shook my head. "Amber, I can't afford this."

"I'll but it for you." She offered.

"No, I couldn't ask for that." I said.

"You didn't, I offered. And even if you say no I'm still buying it." Amber informed me.

"Thanks Amber. I don't know what I'd do without you." I gave her a quick hug.

"Wear jeans that didn't match your belt…" Amber sighed. "Let's go." Amber took hold of my arm and dragged me to the cash register.

(***)

When we arrived back at the house, a bunch of commotion was taking place. "Fabian! Why would you do this to me? I can't believe you!"

Fabian was standing in a corner at the far side of the living room, trying to get as far away from Alfie as possible. "It was an accident."

Amber and I entered the room where all the Anubis housemates were watching the show. "What happened?"

Patricia shrugged. "Beats me. I came down here five minutes ago."

I turned to the pair that was having a loud argument. "It wasn't supposed to happen… It just did."

"You have a girlfriend!" Alfie spat out at him.

"No… I don't." Fabian glanced at me.

Alfie shook his head. "That doesn't give you the right to go after mine."

I turned to look at Amber and noticed that her eyes had gone wide. "You're a filthy, lying, cheater and I can't believe I'm your friend." Alfie tossed back what looked like a red card to Fabian. He stormed out the room and straight to his room. I jumped when I heard him slam the door.

Fabian looked at Amber and then at me. "I can explain." Amber stared at him for another moment before going upstairs. "Nina…"

"Save it." I shook my head before heading up the stairs.

(***)

Days dwindled by without a single one of us speaking to each other. Suddenly, it was the day of the prom. "Nina! We have to get ready." Amber shouted into my ear.

I groaned. "Amber, it's seven in the morning."

"Exactly, we have to get our hair done." Amber threw the covers to the side and pulled me up and out the bed. "This is going to be great. Don't you agree?"

"Amber, why are you so happy? You've been depressed and secretive for weeks and now all of a sudden you're Ms. Sunshine. What aren't you telling me?"

Amber hesitated before putting on her best smile. "Nothing, just a change in attitude. Let's get ready."

I nodded slowly. I just knew something wasn't right… What that something was? I wasn't sure.

**Amber's P.O.V.**

After hours of preparation it was finally time for the dance. I stared at myself in the mirror as I applied last minute touches to my makeup. I suddenly heard the door open and click shut. "Nina, can you pass me my brush?"

I heard feet shuffle against the carpet before my brush was held in front of my face. "Thanks." As I reached for it I could see who was behind me by looking at the mirror. I gulped. "What are you doing here?"

Jerome smirked. "Passing you a brush."

I pushed my seat back and stood up. "Don't you look beautiful tonight…" He looked me up and down. "The color red is divine on you, just stunning."

I could feel anger rising inside me as he continued to wear that sly smile. "Something wrong?"

"Get out of my room and don't you dare come back." I stated.

The smile on his face grew wider. "You don't scare me. But I know for a fact that _I_ scare you."

I took a deep breath. "Then I'll leave." I grabbed my purse and as I headed for the door I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Do we really have to play this game?"

"No game, I'm just leaving." I shrugged off his hand and left the room. I walked down the stairs and saw everyone already there except Nina. "Where's Nina?"

"Haven't seen her." Mara answered.

"Sorry! I'm here." Nina ran down the steps. "We can go."

"Nina," Mick smiled at her. "You look stunning."

She returned the smile. "Thanks." We all walked out the house and closed the door behind us, ready for what was supposed to be the best day of our high school lives.

_**AN: Sorry I haven't updated in awhile but I've been busy. So the next chapter will be the Prom and someone besides Amber will finally find out about the whole Jerome thing. This chapter was not my best, but I promise the next one will be. Small details were very important in this chapter. Especially that small sound Mick and Nina heard... Just saying. Please review, alert, and favorite! :-D**_

_**-Karina **_


	8. Eavesdropping and Pink Lemonade

**Nina's P.O.V.**

I sat in the very back of the room with a red Dixie cup in my hand. I was sloshing the pink lemonade around when a shadow loomed over me. "Nina? Would you care to dance?"

I recognized the voice instantly. "Fabian, I think its best you just leave me alone."

"What do I have to do to get you to forgive me?" Fabian asked.

"Reverse time to that day Amber went to talk to Jerome. If you'd excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom." As I stood up and left the room I could hear him call my name followed by those three little words that I'd always wanted to hear. "What?"

I turned to look at him. "I said I love you."

All those held back feelings from the night of our break-up were resurfacing. "You love me? Isn't that what I said to you one day only I meant it? You didn't. You can't just walk up to me and say the three words I'd wanted you to say for so long because guess what, all those feelings are gone."

"I mean it Nina. I really do." Fabian tried to take hold of my hand but I hid it behind me.

"No you don't and even if you did it wouldn't matter because I don't love you. It's the exact opposite I feel towards you. I hate you Fabian! You broke my heart and left me to fix it all on my own. You will never get me back, so don't try to." And with those final words I stormed out the room leaving a crowd of people staring at Fabian and at the doorway.

**Amber's P.O.V.**

"Alfie! You keep stepping on my toes." I backed away from him and looked down at my feet.

"Sorry Amber, it's kind of hard to get used to this 'formal dancing' thing." Alfie apologized.

I offered him a smile. "It's okay. Let's try again." Alfie held my right hand with his left while he placed his right hand on my waist and I placed my left hand on his shoulder. We slowly began moving our feet to the beat of the music. All of a sudden I heard someone clear their throat. "Alfie, you don't mind if I steal your date away for a dance, do you?"

"I don't mind." Alfie nodded at Jerome. "I'll go get some punch. Bye Ams." He gave me a kiss on the cheek before heading to the refreshment table.

Jerome smirked at me before taking hold of my hand and pulling me towards him. "Let's dance."

The song changed to a slow one and I sighed. "So, how's life Amber?"

"It was better before you came along." I spat out at him.

"Well, I'm a bit hurt that you feel that way. I thought I was doing good for once." He replied.

"Do you not even care about your old life?" I asked.

"Did you forget that I'm not the same Jerome?" Jerome responded.

"You're destroying him." I stated.

"No," He chuckled a bit. "I am him."

"Let go of me." I tried to escape his grasp but he wouldn't budge.

Jerome smirked. "Do you honestly think you're strong enough to take on me? I'm pure Egyptian blood, good luck."

"Everything leads back to Egypt…" I mumbled.

"What was that?" Jerome asked.

I shook my head. "Nothing."

Jerome took hold of my arm and tightened his hold. "I don't like secrets, so you better not be keeping them."

"You're hurting me…" I groaned at the searing pain I was feeling on my arm.

"Just another mark to remember me by…" Jerome brought his lips to my ear. "Keep in mind that I always win."

"Just let go…" I could feel my head getting dizzy as my vision blurred.

Jerome released my arm and let me go. "I look forward to another dance… and maybe something else."

I watched as he exited the room. I turned to the punch table where I saw Alfie talking to Fabian. I glanced at the doorway and then back at Alfie. I made a split second decision and began to exit the room. Once I left I walked down the crowded hallways and out the main door.

I looked around me and noticed that I was alone. Suddenly, I heard a loud crash. I stopped in my tracks and turned to look around the area. I squinted and tried to see through the quiet darkness, but saw nothing. "Anyone there?"

When I heard no reply I continued walking. As I got closer to the house I began to hear voices. "Did you find it?" A voice asked. I quickly recognized the voice as Jerome's.

"No, it's hidden in the attic." Another voice said. It was a male's voice. I walked closer and saw a handsome dark haired teenager in a black tux talking to Jerome. I stared at the boy for another second before ducking behind a nearby trashcan and listening to the rest of the conversation.

Jerome sighed. "Did you at least get the key?"

The boy shook his head. Jerome groaned before running a hand through his hair. "What am I paying you for Morgan?"

The boy, who was apparently named Morgan, looked down at his feet. "I'll get it soon. For now, I found this." Morgan handed Jerome a file.

"What is this?" Jerome eyed the file cautiously.

"It's the museum's catalog." Morgan answered.

"How is this supposed to help me?" Jerome was beginning to lose his patience.

"Look," Morgan opened the file and pulled out a certain page. "It's one of the Fortuna jewels."

"Hmm… Good work. I'll talk to you tomorrow." Jerome replied. "Find it soon."

Morgan nodded before walking away with his hands in his pockets. I thought for a moment. _Fortuna Jewel… that sounds familiar. Jerome! He told me that chaos was looking for all the jewels. If he gets this one then he's one step closer to taking over Jerome's body completely._

I backed away and felt myself collide with a body. I turned around and found myself looking up at Jerome. "Anyone ever tell you not to eavesdrop?"

"The thought never occurred to me." I responded.

Jerome tilted his head. "Well, it should have. Come on," He grasped my arm and pulled me away from the trash can.

"Let go!" I shouted as I tried to pull away.

"Don't struggle, it only makes me madder." Jerome tightened his grip. He continued to drag me with him till we reached Anubis house. Once we entered Jerome shoved me into the hallway and released my arm. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough." I answered as I rubbed my arm.

"Don't play the tough act. It doesn't work on you." Jerome stepped forward making me step back. "What did you hear?"

I remained quiet. "Fine, I guess I'll have to force you." I stepped back and tried to distance myself from him, but there was no space behind me and my back collided with the wall. Jerome smirked as he approached me. "Tell me."

"Never." I said. He grasped my arm and a burning sensation appeared. "I said tell me."

"I didn't hear anything… I swear." I groaned.

Jerome shook his head. "Don't lie."

"I-I-I'm not." I stuttered.

Jerome tsked. "Amber, there are a lot of things I like about you. You're strong, you speak your mind, and you're not afraid to stand up for yourself. But those are also the things I hate. Just give it up and surrender."

"If I surrender I would accomplish nothing but letting down a friend that I promised I would save." I whispered. Jerome stared at me for a few seconds. "You just don't get it… That friend is already gone. You broke the promise. You let him down. He can no longer be saved. He is forever lost."

"No, he's trapped." I corrected him.

I looked down at my arm and saw that Jerome was no longer holding it. Jerome eyed me with curiosity and as he stared into my eyes I could feel my thoughts beginning to blur. "Time to finish our earlier discussion."

Jerome connected his lips with mine and I felt my brain completely wipe out. He pressed himself against me and deepened the kiss._ What is wrong with me? Why aren't I pulling away or pushing him off me? Why can't I control myself? Is he controlling me? Or am I doing this willingly?_

Jerome traced his tongue over my lower lip before slipping it into my mouth. He placed a hand behind my neck and tilted my head up. My eyes fluttered close at the adrenaline and lust rushing through my body. Jerome suddenly removed his lips from mine and began kissing his way down to my neck. Once he got there he sucked on the skin that was exposed. I mentally cursed myself for deciding to wear a strapless dress to the prom. Jerome's lips were back on mine and he pulled me away from the wall guiding me to his room. As he did I felt something shift inside me and I became completely taken over.

I pushed Jerome against the wall and slipped his black jacket off sending it to the floor, followed by his tie. I unbuttoned a few buttons on his shirt before Jerome moved forward and opened the door to his room. When we entered he locked the door behind us. The kiss was still intact despite all the moving. Jerome began to focus on the zipper of my dress as time flew by. He zipped it down and slid the dress down my slim figure before I stepped out of it. "You're gorgeous…" Jerome mumbled before reconnecting our lips. I removed the last few buttons of Jerome's shirt and it slid down his arms. Jerome navigated me towards his bed and we both fell back on it.

**Nina's P.O.V.**

I decided to return to the prom after my dramatic exit. I was seated at my original seat when Patricia and Joy sat next to me. "Everything alright?" Patricia asked.

I nodded. "Everything's fine… This is the worst prom ever. I don't even have a date."

"The only people that do are Mick, Mara, Amber, and Alfie. You aren't alone." Patricia replied.

"I'm going to ask Fabian to dance. Be right back." Joy left the table.

"How's everything been since the breakup?" Patricia asked.

I gave her my best smile. "I'm not upset. I'm completely over it."

Patricia nodded. "I'm glad. Also… what do you think of Mick?"

I shrugged. "He's nice."

"That's all?"

I nodded. "Then why were you two kissing in the fountain a week ago?"

I stared at Patricia. "You were the one that was eavesdropping?"

"I was strolling by and happened to see you. You do know that he's dating Mara, right?"

"I know." I sighed.

"How long has it been going on?" Patricia asked.

"Three days after the Halloween dance." I answered.

"Why? No offense but Mick is," Patricia glanced at Mick and saw him dancing really badly. "Mick."

"He comforted me when I found out that Fabian likes someone else."

"Who?" Patricia asked.

"Just some girl. It doesn't matter." I replied.

"Honestly Nina, I think you could do better." Patricia told me.

"Are you going to tell Mara?" I asked. "Please don't,"

Patricia sighed. "Fine, but you or Mick better tell her soon."

"Thanks Patricia." I smiled.

"Don't thank me. This is going to end up blowing up in your face." Patricia informed me.

"Guys?" Alfie approached us. "Have you seen Amber? I went to get some punch and ten minutes later she disappeared."

"Maybe she went to the bathroom." Patricia guessed.

"Or went to get some fresh air." I suggested.

"Okay…" Alfie sat down at our table. "I guess I'll wait."

**Amber's P.O.V.**

The next morning I woke up with a major headache and a distant blur of all of the other night's events. I rubbed my eyes and sat up only to realize that I wasn't wearing anything except a sheet. _Oh no…_ I glanced to my right and saw Jerome lying beside me, also naked. I got out of the bed and looked around the room. Alfie's bed was empty which meant he didn't sleep in the room. "Morning." I jumped at the sound of Jerome's voice. I turned to look at him and quickly grabbed something to cover myself up. "Calm down. I've already seen you without clothing."

I shook my head. "What did we do?"

"I think you know what happened." Jerome replied.

"No… no." I gulped. "Alfie…"

"You should get dressed Amber." Jerome ignored me.

"Nina's probably wondering where I am." I picked up my red prom dress and draped it in my arms. "I don't have anything to wear."

Jerome tossed me a large gray T-shirt that reached below my thighs. I quickly put it on and began to gather all my clothing. "Where's my underwear?"

Jerome shrugged. "Guess you lost it. If I find it I'll return it."

Amber sighed before walking to the door and unlocking it. "Don't you dare tell anyone about what happened last night. We are never to speak about it again."

Jerome smirked. "Fine. Enjoy your walk of shame." I closed the door behind me and descended to my room.

_**AN: Hope you liked the chapter. I thought it could've been way better, but I was in a rush. Oh well… The next chapter will be one of my favorites. Keep reading! Reviews, alerts, and favorites are appreciated and make people update faster!**_

_**-Karina**_

_**P.S. The scene between Amber and Jerome was obviously what you think it is. I don't write smut and never will so don't expect me to actually write out those scenes because I never will. It's just not what I do.**_


	9. Shadows and Stolen Innocence

**Amber's P.O.V.**

The silence in the room was simply hanging in the air. No one bothered to make it disappear. We let it stay there while we exchanged knowing glances with certain people around the table. Some of the glances were meaningful and full of concern. Others were obnoxious and completely mischievous. And some were curious and suspicious. There was also the shunning and angry glance that seemed to be very contagious among us housemates.

Trudy suddenly walked into the room and laughed at the silence. "Why, isn't it quiet this morning. You all have fun at the dance?"

Mumbled 'yes's were heard from the table. "Alright then. Jerome, I believe this is for you." Trudy handed Jerome a yellow envelope. He took a small peak and quickly pushed back his chair creating an unpleasant creaking sound. He stood up and descended to his room. "Enjoy your breakfast." Trudy gave us a bright smile before exiting the room.

Everyone began leaving the table until it was just me and Mick. Mick, who was in the process of leaving, stopped in front of my seat and bent down so his lips were only a couple of centimeters away from my ear. "You know, you can hear a lot if you listen."

My head swirled around to face him so quickly he didn't have time to back away. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Mick returned to his normal height before shrugging. "Nothing, just something I've picked up. No need to worry Amber. We all have our secrets, right?"

"I suppose." I replied.

"Yeah," Mick nodded. "But some may not be worth keeping."

"Are you implying something Mick?" I snapped.

Mick shook his head before putting his hands in his pockets. "All I'm saying is that secrets hurt, you don't want to be the reason someone is hurt, do you?" Before I could say anything else Mick left the living area.

I allowed his words to sink in before putting my backpack on my shoulder and heading to class.

(***)

I sat be myself during lunch trying to analyze what Mick had said. It was taking every ounce of strength to not walk up to him and just ask him the question that was on my mind. I looked around the cafeteria and found him sitting with Nina, Patricia, Alfie, Joy, and Mara. Fabian was off moping and Jerome was nowhere to be found. I stood up, not being able to take it anymore, and walked to their table. Without giving him time to protest, I grabbed Mick's arm and pulled him as far away as possible from the table. "Do you know?"

"Know what?" Mick asked as he rubbed the arm I had previously been pulling.

"You know exactly what I mean." I stated.

Mick sighed. "Yes."

"How?" I asked.

"I heard noises when I came home from the dance and happened to wander to Jerome's door. The noises were very strange… I also saw your clothes thrown everywhere around the first floor. Wasn't really an algebra equation." Mick explained.

"Great, if you know that probably means someone else knows." I shook my head.

"No, it's just me. I was nice enough to pick up Jerome's shirt… Amber, this doesn't seem like you. I never thought you would do this to Alfie." Mick said as he began to head back to his seat.

"Wait, don't tell him." I pleaded.

"Why? Give me a good reason why I shouldn't." Mick crossed his arms over his chest. I bit my lower lip as I contemplated whether to tell him the truth or not.

**Nina's P.O.V.**

I watched as Amber pulled Mick away and started a heated discussion with him. I turned back to everyone at the table only to find Patricia giving me a look. I diverted my eyes to my lunch to avoid her burning stare. "I'm going to go get something to drink, anyone want something?" Mara announced as she stood up. The four shook their heads and Mara left the table.

"Did you tell her yet?" Patricia asked as soon as Mara left the table.

"Can we not talk about that right now?" I responded.

Patricia shook her head. "She's your friend, you know."

"I haven't even told Mick so can we discuss this later." I informed her.

"Told me what?" Mick asked as he returned to his seat.

"Nothing." I replied rather quickly.

He stared at me with a raised eyebrow and I gave him one of my we'll-talk-about-it-later looks.

**Amber's P.O.V.**

I lay in my bed, looking up at the ceiling when I heard the door creak open. My eyes quickly traveled to the doorway to see who it was. I shook my head and returned to staring at the ceiling when I saw who it was.

"Not happy to see me?" Jerome quipped as he walked over to my bed.

I remained in my same position without saying a word. "Oh, I'm getting the silent treatment." Jerome smirked as he looked down at me.

I glared at him. "You stole my innocence."

Jerome chuckled. "Sorry to break it to you love, but you never had it."

I sat up and swung my legs off to the side of my bed. "I'm not letting you control me anymore."

A sly smile crept up his face. He bent down and brought his lips to my ear. My eyes fell close at the feel of his breath on my neck. I could feel my chest heaving up and down as he remained there without doing a single thing. "Are you sure?"

Jerome returned to his normal height. "I know your weaknesses Amber. Don't think for a second you can overpower me."

"You may think you know me, but I know you too. Your weaknesses, your strengths, your hates, your likes. Don't think you have the upper-hand. This is simply a back and forth dance and guess what? I'm leading now." I stood up and made my way over to him. "I am your weakness."

Jerome spun around to face me. "Really? Then wouldn't your precious Jerome be here already if that were true?"

"He is. I'm just getting good at the game, so you might want to watch your back too." I walked past him and exited my room, knowing exactly what to do next.

(***)

I walked around the school for countless hours until I spotted who I was looking for. Morgan stood a foot away with a group of friends. He was the same height as Jerome with a mop of shaggy dark brown hair on his head. He had bright sapphire blue eyes, a fair skin tone and a slim and muscular build. He seemed to be the type of guy that could get any girl to swoon with a simple bright smile.

I marched over to him and his group of friends. Their conversation seemed to dwindle when they noticed me standing in front of them. "Excuse me, but can I have a word?"

Morgan eyed me curiously and then nodded his friends away. The three boys walked away leaving us alone. "What can I help you with?"

"I need to talk to you about Jerome." I explained. A worried expression seemed to fill his face and he looked around the area. "Not here. Follow me."

Morgan took my hand and led me somewhere away from the area.

**Nina's P.O.V.**

"Anything you want to share?" Mick asked. We were the only two at Anubis house. Everyone was either in town or roaming the school. "Patricia knows."

"How?" He asked.

"She saw us at the fountain." I answered. "This is all my fault."

Mick shook his head. "No, this is a good thing." He took hold of my hands. "We shouldn't be keeping this a secret anymore."

"But Mara…" I trailed off.

"Aren't you sick of worrying about everyone else? Don't you just ever want to do something and not worry about the consequences? I do." Mick asked.

I bit my lower lip. "I don't know."

"That's the answer that will always be holding you back. You need to break loose." Mick informed me. "So, what do you say?"

I stared at him reluctantly. "Let's break loose."

(***)

"We will be gone for a week and are leaving you alone. Mr. Sweet will be checking in once in a while so no shenanigans, no parties, no inappropriate behavior, no going into the attic or cellar, and no boys and girls in the same room, understood?" Victor announced. Victor had been called in for an important meeting and Trudy had to take care of something at home.

We nodded and Victor glared at us. "The house better in the same exact condition it is now when I get home. Go back to your activities."

Victor picked up his suit case and headed out the door. "Don't mind him; he didn't have breakfast this morning." Trudy smiled. "Bye."

The door closed and we all exchanged looks. Alfie smirked. "Well, this is going to be a fun week."

**Amber's P.O.V.**

"I've never been to any of the other houses." I stated as I walked into the house. "What's it called?"

"The House of Osiris, the god of the underworld, the afterlife, and the dead." Morgan answered as he led me inside.

"Interesting…" Amber took a seat on the sofa. Morgan followed her example and sat beside her. "What do you know about Jerome?"

"I know that he isn't Jerome. Is he blackmailing you?" I asked. Morgan shook his head. "It's complicated."

"I can handle complicated." I responded.

Morgan sighed and leaned back on the coach. "My father is part of that stupid club. He's been forcing me to get Jerome the information he needs to help them harness the fire."

"Harness the fire?" I waited for him to further explain.

"Very few members are born with the ability to harness the fire. The ones that are usually are the most powerful and dangerous. There are only two known. Jerome and me."

"You can harness fire?" I asked. Morgan glanced around the room to make sure no one else was in it. He put his hand out and closed his eyes. All of a sudden a bright flame appeared in his hand. "Oh my god…" I stared in amazement.

"The other members need the jewels to obtain the ability." Morgan finished.

"That's all? They want to control fire." I looked down at the floor. "This is getting way too complicated."

"There's also something else." Morgan added.

I sat up, eager to hear what he had to say. "What?"

"I can do something else. Something that none of the other members know about." Morgan closed his eyes once more and began muttering something under his breath. Suddenly, shadows started collecting together and circling us. I watched in amazement as whispers and cries were heard from the shadows. Morgan opened his eyes and the shadows disappeared. "I can control the lost souls of the dead."

"You can control them." I looked around.

"But no one can see the shadows except me." Morgan explained.

"But I just saw them." I explained.

Morgan tilted his head to the side in confusion. "You saw them? You must have the sight. That would explain why Jerome is so interested in you."

I raised an eyebrow. "The sight?"

"You can see the other dimensions like I can. The dead, the living, and the in-betweens…" Realization suddenly dawned on Morgan.

"What? What's wrong?" Amber asked.

"Since you're not blood born that can only mean one thing," Morgan stared at her. "You're must be one of the Fortuna jewels."

_**AN: Sorry for the long wait, but I've been busy. Anyways, I brought Morgan back in this chapter and revealed more about Chaos. Mick seems to be the only one who knows about Amber and Jerome, but that might change. Anyone still remember the underwear Amber misplaced in the end of the last chapter? Keep that in mind. So I left this chapter on a sort of cliffhanger. The next chapter will be very entertaining and you can look forward to more Amber/Jerome moments. If you have any ideas feel free to share, like couples, scenes, or who should be the first to find out about the mystery besides Amber. BTW Morgan is now a main character. Hope you liked; review, alert, and, favorite!**_

_**-Karina**_


	10. Parties, Elevators, and Clouded Heads

**Amber's P.O.V.**

"I-I-I'm one of the Fortuna jewels?" I stuttered.

Morgan stared at her for a moment before shaking his head. "You have to go."

"Why?" I asked.

Morgan ignored me and headed to the door. He opened it and motioned for me to exit. "I said you have to go."

I looked at him with confusion. "What's going on?"

"It was a bad idea to tell you anything." I stood up and exited the house. "You don't have to be scared of him."

Morgan shook his head. "Yes, I do."

The door was slammed in my face. I backed away and sighed as I began walking back to Anubis house.

(***)

Music blared through my ears as I pushed my way into the house. A bunch of people that I had never seen before in my life were dancing around in the house. Suddenly, I spotted Nina and Mick standing in the back of the room with red Dixie cups. "What's going on?" I shouted over the music when I reached them.

"Jerome and Alfie threw a party. It got a bit out of hand." Nina answered.

I nodded. "I see…"

"I think Jerome's looking for you." Nina informed me.

"He is?" I asked. I could tell Mick was giving me a look without even glancing at him. "I should go find him."

I walked away from the pair and began looking around the house. I finally found Jerome in the hall with Alfie. "Just the girl I was looking for!" Jerome exclaimed. "Alfie, do you mind if I have a word with Amber?"

"No, have fun." Alfie smiled at Amber as he walked away.

"What were you doing at the House of Osiris?" Jerome asked as soon as Alfie left.

"Are you stalking me now?" I mocked.

Jerome smirked. "No need to, I have people that do that for me."

I rolled my eyes before crossing my arms over my chest. "Are you going to answer the question?" He asked.

I stared at him for a moment before letting my arms drop to my sides. "Yes, I was."

"You didn't talk to anyone did you?" Jerome kept bombarding me with questions.

"No, I was giving some girl make-up tips." I answered.

Jerome raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" Jerome took hold of my arm and gripped it tightly.

"Tell the truth Amber." He demanded. "Or you'll feel pain."

"I talked to Morgan." I confessed.

Jerome released my arm. "What'd he tell you?"

"Nothing. He kicked me out." I half lied.

"Smart kid." He stated.

"Whatever." I replied. As I began to walk away Jerome blocked me. "And where do you think you're going?"

"To my room." I responded as I tried to get around him. "Didn't you hear Alfie? 'Have fun.'"

"What happened between us was a one time thing and I was half-drunk, half-hypnotized." I informed him.

"Since you're sober now it'll be twice as fun as the first time." Jerome smirked.

"No," I tried to get around him once more but he wouldn't budge.

Jerome bent down so his lips were a centimeter away from my ear. "You want it as much as I do."

"You're sick if you think I'd ever want you." I shoved him out of my way and descended up the stairs.

**Nina's P.O.V.**

"Do you want to go somewhere quieter?" Mick shouted over the music.

"What?" I asked, unable to hear him.

"I said do you want to go somewhere quieter?" Mick repeated.

I nodded and Mick took my hand as he led me out of the living area. He opened the door to his room and motioned for me to enter. "That's better. I can actually hear myself think." Mick stated after closing the door. He took a seat beside me on his bed.

"So…" I stretched out the word as I stared down at my hands.

Mick ran a hand through his hair nervously. "So…"

"Mick, I need to know if you broke up with Mara yet." I glanced up at him.

Mick met my gaze and sighed. "I don't know how without making her break down in tears."

"You need to if you want us to be together." I explained.

"What exactly is 'us'?" Mick inched away from me.

"Us? You and me." I put my hand over his. "Complicated…"

"I don't want this to be complicated." Mick replied.

I removed my hand from his. "Then choose me or her?"

Mick stayed quiet as I waited for him to respond. After a minute or so I stood up from his bed. "I think I got my answer."

"No," Mick took hold of my arm before I could leave. "Don't go."

"I need to know Mick." I stated.

He sighed. "You're putting me in an uncomfortable position. I'd feel guilty whenever I look at her. I don't want that weighing me down."

"I know, but imagine the guilt of cheating… The guilt you probably already have. It's going to get heavier." Nina responded.

Mick sat back on his bed and I followed. "Why'd you have to make me like you?"

I smiled a bit. "I've been asking myself the same question."

"I should tell her shouldn't I…?" Mick looked down at the floor. "I'll be right back."

He exited the room leaving me alone. I stood up and decided to look around. Suddenly I spotted a box on Mick's nightstand. I picked it up and looked around to make sure Mick wasn't coming in. Slowly I opened the box and revealed a ring, a beautiful diamond ring. I took the note that was taped to the box and unfolded it. _If you'll be my one and only I PROMISE to forever remain yours. –Mick_

The door opened and I quickly shoved the ring and the note in my pocket. "I got you something to drink." He handed me a cup and leaned forward to kiss me but I turned my head and he kissed my cheek. He gave me a strange look before wrapping his arms around me in a tight hug. "Thanks Nina."

I quickly pulled away and forced a smile. "I have to go." I ran out the room in a hurry and stumbled up the steps before stopping in front of my door and breaking down into tears. My back slid down the door and I sat on the floor with my head in my hands.

"Nina?" I looked up and saw Fabian approaching me. Quickly, I wiped the tears with the back of my hand and looked away. "Are you okay?"

"Just leave me alone…" I mumbled. He chose to ignore me and sit beside me. "Tell me what's wrong."

I reluctantly looked at him and sighed. "Nothing."

"Nina, just because we aren't dating anymore doesn't mean I won't be there for you. We were best friends before we started dating and I hope we still are."

"It's just that I feel I come second for everyone. Why can't it ever be me that gets the fairytale ending?" I asked.

"In the real world nothing ever works out for the hero." Fabian smiled at me. I returned his smile and looked down at the floor. "You always know what to say… I love that about you."

"Yeah… We could always talk." He stared at me and slowly started to lean in. Before he pressed his lips against mine he paused.

"We can't…" I stared into his dark eyes.

"Why not?" He asked.

I shook my head lightly. "I'd be betraying myself…"

"No harm in one betrayal." And he kissed me. It was sweet and innocent and exactly like our first kiss. The only problem was that I no longer felt the same. I had so many emotions bottled up inside me and Fabian would make them worse… But at that moment I was hurting and I honestly could care less. So I let him kiss me and I kissed back. I didn't even protest when he opened the door to my room and pulled me inside. I didn't even try.

**Amber's P.O.V.**

"Alfie, can we talk?" I asked Alfie for the fifth time. He briefly glanced at me. "Amber let me just finish this level, please?"

"You said that five levels ago." I reminded him.

"Just hold on." Alfie waved his controller at me and I sighed before going to the kitchen and grabbing a bottle of water.

"Have you told Alfie?" Mick's voice made me jump and I turned to look at him. "Oh, it's just you."

"Expecting someone else?" He asked in a teasing voice.

I sighed. "Are you here to make me feel guilty?"

"No, I'm here to find out why. Do you like him or something?" Mick asked.

"Jerome?" I laughed. "No, trust me."

Mick raised an eyebrow. "I don't think you heard your voice when you said that. You hesitated,"

"I did not." I snapped.

Mick shrugged before snatching my water out of my hand and taking a sip. "Whatever you say. I just want to know the truth. Alfie's a good guy and you would never hurt him intentionally, so why?"

"It's complicated." I replied.

"Complicated? I can relate." Mick said as he leaned on the counter top. "Remember when we were dating?"

I laughed a bit. "Yeah, that was wrong."

"Definitely, but we had our moments." He responded.

I walked over to him. "We did, didn't we?"

Mick smiled. "You're not that kind of girl, the one that cheats. You had to have had a good reason. I know that for sure Amber. I won't judge you because I know you. You're better than that."

I returned the smile. "You always know what to say to a girl, don't you Mick?"

He smirked and shrugged. "I guess. When you're ready to tell the truth feel free to pour your heart out to me." He gave me a quick hug and made his way out the kitchen.

"Mick?" I called.

He turned back to look at me. "Yeah?"

I bit my lower lip. "Can I tell you something?"

**Nina's P.O.V.**

Fabian pressed me up against my night stand knocking a few of the objects down. His hands were firmly placed on my hip and he kissed me roughly. I suddenly felt him slip a hand under my shirt and run it over my soft skin. A siren suddenly went off in my head and I pulled away.

"What's wrong?" He asked. I shook my head and pulled him back into a kiss. His tongue slid across my lower lip begging for access which I granted after a while. When he pushed me onto my bed and he fell on top of me I could feel my head filling with thoughts. His hands gripped the bottom of my shirt and pulled it over his head. His lips left mine and he kissed down my jaw line to my neck.

My eyes fell close and I could feel adrenaline coursing through my veins. The siren suddenly came back and I felt my mind clear. "This isn't right…" A light moan escaped my lips when he sucked on the skin.

"We have to stop… god…" Fabian kissed down to my stomach and continued peppering light kisses along my body.

I shook my head and sat up ultimately making Fabian get off of me. "What's wrong?"

"This isn't right. We can't do this Fabian, we can't."

He looked down at the floor and then back at me. "I understand…"

The door suddenly opened and in came Mick. "Nina, I-," He stopped in his tracks. "Umm… I'm sorry to interrupt."

"Mick, no." I got up out of the bed and watched as Mick left the room. I quickly put back on my shirt and chased after him leaving Fabian on my bed.

I raced down the steps as I followed him. "Mick please stop."

He went through the door and ran across the field. I sighed and continued to chase him. Mick finally slowed down a bit when he got to the school and entered the building. I looked around the empty hallways and spotted Mick entering the elevator. I sprinted over to him and made it in before it could close. "Mick please listen to me."

He continued to hit the third floor button repeatedly. "What you saw was nothing, I swear."

He didn't respond. "Don't you believe me?"

Mick snapped his head around so fast I was sure he got whiplash. "I don't know what to believe anymore."

The elevator suddenly came to a halt and the lights flickered off. The emergency light turned on casting a yellowish glow in the elevator. Mick sighed. "Great, we're stuck in here."

**Amber's P.O.V.**

I navigated my way around the crowded living area until I stumbled upon Patricia, Joy, and Mara. "Where have you three been?"

"Trying to avoid all the drunken lunatics." Patricia answered.

I nodded and took a seat beside her. "What about you?" Mara asked.

"I've been bothered by annoying people, trying to get my boyfriend to listen to me, and having a heart to heart with a friend." I summed up.

"Sounds exciting." Joy stated.

I shook my head. "You have no idea."

"Amber?" I turned my head to the person who had called my name and saw Morgan. I jumped up from my sit and looked at Morgan. "Morgan? What are you doing here?"

He wore a worried expression on his face as he said, "The voices are getting louder and I can hear what they're saying now… It's about you."

**Nina's P.O.V.**

"Mick, please hear me out at least." I begged him for about the tenth time.

"Fine, try to explain." Mick crossed his arms over his chest.

I released a deep breath. "Fabian was comforting me and he always knows what to say. It's so easy to talk to him. He gets me and I don't know it just felt nice that someone was listening."

"That's why you were shirtless on your bed with him practically on top of you. That makes perfect sense." Mick rolled his eyes.

"At least he makes me feel good!" I snapped.

"How am I supposed to make you feel good when you don't open yourself up to me? I feel like a stranger around you sometimes. I don't know what you want and you don't know what I want." He stood up and leaned against the elevator wall.

"Fine, tell me. What do you want Mick? What does the lying boy who can't seem to figure out who he wants to be with want?"

"I want you to be able to open up to me. I want to know you, but you don't let me." Mick answered.

"I can't Mick. You won't understand… I'm just not ready. You're you and I just can't-,"

"Talk to me!" Mick let the words pour out. "Just… talk to me."

I stared up at him from my spot on the cold metal floor. "I can't." My voice came out so timid it didn't even sound like me.

Mick shook his head slowly. "Exactly…"

An uncomfortable silence settled between us and after a minute or so I couldn't take it. "Who'd you choose?"

Mick glanced down at me, his arms crossed over his chest. "I think we both know the answer to that."

And the silence returned.

**Amber's P.O.V.**

"How is that possible?" I asked Morgan.

He shook his head. "I don't know. It just happens. They can see the future Amber and it's extremely dark. I think chaos wins."

"But that means in the future that I'm-,"

"Dead? Yeah." Morgan finished for me. "We have to stop it."

"I thought you were scared of him?" I asked.

"I am," Morgan nodded. "But you can't run from your fears. You have to face them or they'll just grow."

I looked at the ground. "Is it possible?"

"What?" Morgan asked.

I dared to look him in the eyes. "Is it possible to save Jerome without killing him?"

It was Morgan's turn to look down at the ground. "Honestly, I don't know."

"We have to save him…" I took a shaky breath. "And I think know how."

"Really?" Morgan asked.

I nodded. "I have to go talk to someone. I'll see you later Morgan."

As Morgan exited the room he stopped in his tracks and grabbed my arm. "Be careful."

And then he left. I took a seat on my bed and stared at my poster filled wall. "Time to give yourself up."

**Nina's P.O.V.**

I looked at Mick who was sitting in the far corner of the elevator with his head in his hands. "I found it, you know."

Mick sighed before lifting his head. "Really? Found what?"

I threw the small black box at Mick and he caught it. "I can't believe you got that for her."

"Well you shouldn't. It wasn't for her." It was my turn to look surprised as I stared at the small box in his hands.

"What?"

Mick set the box down beside him. "It was for you… before all of this happened."

"Oh." That was the only word that left my lips.

"_Oh_? That's all you have to say?" Mick chuckled a bit as he looked at the floor. "Unbelievable… You accused me of picking her and all you have to say is 'oh'."

He stood up and looked at the wall. "What do you want me to say? That everything is okay, that everything is just as it should be, that everything is-,"

"No! I want you to say yes!" Mick clutched the metal railing.

I stared at my reflection through the metal and glanced at Mick. "I would've… If only you had asked."

"I did." Mick turned to face me. "But you left…"

"What are you…?" And that's when I felt it. I don't know how long it had been there but I pulled out a crumpled piece of yellow paper from my pocket. I stood up and opened the paper. After quickly skimming it I looked at Mick. And then I kissed him.

I pressed my lips against his quickly, not giving him time to react. After a second or two he raised a hand up to the side of my face and deepened the kiss. I pulled away and smiled a bit. "Yes… The answer's yes."

He returned the smile and then reconnected our lips. This kiss was more intense but at the same time it was still pure. His tongue glided against my lower lip and I granted him access allowing his tongue to slip between my parted lips. As he explored my mouth he ran a hand along the side of my chest before slipping it under my shirt and gliding it across my smooth skin. I felt shivers run down my spine and my skin light on fire when he removed his lips from mine and pressed light kisses down my jaw line to my neck.

My back pressed against the wall as Mick continued his assault on my neck. His hand gripped the bottom of my shirt but instead of lifting it over my head he pulled away. "Not here… we shouldn't be doing this while I'm-,"

"Mick," I cut him off before lifting my shirt over my head and tossing it to the floor. "You can either kiss me or go stand in that corner of the elevator by yourself."

He stared at me for a moment before reattaching our lips. My hands trailed up his shirt slowly unbuttoning it. It slid down his arms and joined mine on the metal floor. He stared at me, flustered and out of breath. His eyes traveled down my body and then he met my gaze. "I made a good choice."

I chuckled before pulling him back into a heated kiss.

**Amber's P.O.V.**

I grabbed Alfie's arm and pulled him away from the video game. "Amber! I was on the last level!" He whined.

"We need to talk." I said in the most serious tone I could. "We… have to break up."

The goofy smile on his face disappeared. "What?"

"I'm sorry Alfie but it's to protect you." I replied.

Alfie shook his head. "I can't believe this."

"Alfie, I don't want this to ruin our friendship. Please, don't fight it and just let it be." I begged.

He slowly nodded. "Can you at least tell me why?"

"I'm sorry," I gulped. "But I can't."

"Figures…" He walked away from me and headed back to the game system. I suddenly felt warm breath hitting my neck. "Well, well, well…" Jerome smirked.

I looked at him. "I'm all yours now."

"Great…" He pulled me to his room and closed the door behind us. Before he could kiss me I backed away. "You have to promise to leave my friends alone."

"A negotiation… I don't make deals." He replied.

"Then I'm leaving." I responded.

"Who says I'll let you?" Jerome raised an eyebrow.

"I'll scream." I answered.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Fine." As he pressed his lips against mine I forced myself to kiss back no matter how repulsed I felt.

Only when he moved his head down to my neck did I realize that tears streaked my face and I was silently weeping.

_**AN: Soooo sorry for the long wait but I have a life and don't always have time for Fanfiction. Now, I hope you liked the chapter because it took a while to write. Here are some things you may be confused about: Mick slipped the yellow paper into Nina's pocket when he gave her that quick hug in the beginning. Also Amber has a plan to get Jerome back and it involves giving in. Please review, subscribe, and alert. BTW, the first three people that review get a sneak peek look at the next chapter!**_

_**-Karina**_

_**P.S. You will find out if Amber told Mick the truth in the next chapter. Stay tuned! I'll be updating in two weeks when school is officially over! Also, don't worry the ring was not an engagement ring it was a promise ring. By the way I included that little sort of Fabina moment for those that ship them. Don't worry there will probably be more. I apologize for any mistakes and I'm sorry the chapter is rushed. The next one will be better, I promise!**_


	11. Flaming Fires and Unknown Secrets

**Amber's P.O.V.**

I walked down the crowded hallway in search of my locker. When I reached it I opened it and took out the books I needed for the day. "Amber?"

I slammed my locker door shut and turned to the owner of the voice. "Morgan, what are you doing here?"

"I have something important to tell you." Morgan looked around to make sure no one was looking at us before grabbing my arm and dragging me into the supply closet. The supply closet was small and barely had room for a single person let alone two, so Morgan was pressed up against me. Chemicals and cleaning supplies lined the shelves and a mop and a broom leaned against the dusty wall. It was dark and all I could see was the outline of Morgan's body. "What was so important that you had to shove me into an extremely small closet?"

"They're having a meeting tonight at 1:00 AM. They're going to discuss the Fortuna Jewels."

"Do they know where they all are yet?"

Morgan shook his head. "No, but they're going to perform this Ancient Ceremony that locates all of them."

"But that means they're going to find out and then Jerome will come after me…" I could feel my heart racing as worry set in.

"Don't worry; I think I know how to stop it." He informed her. "The other day I was at the library and I read in this book some sort of incantation that reverses the ceremony so it can't take effect."

"Really? Where's the book?" I asked.

"At the library." Morgan answered.

My shoulders slumped and I sighed. "Meet me after school. We have to find that book."

Morgan nodded. He opened the door a crack before opening it all the way. We both stepped out and went our separate ways.

**Mara's P.O.V.**

"Am I hallucinating or have Nina and Mick been spending an awful lot of time together?" I asked.

Joy shook her head. "No, they have. Nina's been tutoring Mick in Literature."

"Why?"

"Umm, Mara? Mick isn't exactly the sharpest pencil in the box." Patricia informed her.

I rolled my eyes. "I meant why didn't he ask me to tutor him?"

"You're kind of bossy when you tutor people." Joy stated before grabbing a muffin from the center of the table.

I gasped. "I am not!"

Joy raised her hands up in defense. "Alright, alright."

I let out a deep breath and looked at Nina and Mick who were sitting on the sofa together with a textbook in front of them. Nina was giggling and Mick was smiling at her. "It looks like there is something else going on between the two… Joy, Patricia we're going to investigate. I need to find out if my boyfriend is a cheat."

"Sorry, but I have better things to do." Patricia left the table and headed out the door.

"Joy, please?" I begged.

She sighed. "When do we start spying?"

I grinned and stood up before draping my backpack over my shoulder. "Soon Joy," I glanced at Mick and Nina who appeared to be sitting closer together. "Soon."

**Nina's P.O.V.**

"Can we take a break?" Mick asked. We had been studying for over two hours.

I rolled my eyes and sat up in his bed. "Fine," I closed the textbook and set it aside. "What do you want to do?"

Mick shrugged before leaning towards me. "I'm up for anything."

"Really?" I closed the space between us by pressing our lips together. Suddenly, someone's phone began to ring. Mick pulled away and took his phone out of his pocket.

"Hello? I can't I'm busy… Fine, I'll be there in a few." Mick hung up the phone. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

I shrugged. "It's fine."

Mick gave me a quick kiss before grabbing his jacket and exiting the room.

(***)

"Hey Nina." Mara and Joy sat beside me on the coach.

"Umm… Hey?" I closed the book I was currently reading and set it down on the coffee table. "Did you want something?"

"No, we just wanted to see how you were doing." Mara replied.

"Uh… I'm fine. What about you?"

"We didn't come to talk about ourselves. We came to talk about you." Joy smiled brightly and I chuckled nervously.

"Okay."

"So you've been tutoring Mick I hear." Mara casually brought up.

I nodded. "Yeah, Mr. Finnegan asked me to."

"Are you enjoying it?" Joy asked. I noticed that Mara shot her a look.

I shrugged. "It's okay. I have to go now."

I quickly stood up and left the living area before they could call me back.

**Amber's P.O.V.**

"What are we looking for?" I glanced at Morgan who was busy looking at all the shelves to see if he could locate the book.

"A big old leather book with a rusty buckle on the side. The pages look burnt and the title of the book is in Ancient Latin. _Flamma __animae__,_ it means 'The Flames of the Soul.'"

"You know Latin?" I asked.

Morgan shrugged. "I know ten languages."

My mouth dropped a bit and I shook my head. "You sure do come in handy."

He smiled at me before putting his attention back on the shelves. "I remember it being on a bottom shelf somewhere."

Morgan bent down and looked at all the books until his eyes stopped on one. He pulled it out and set it down on a table. "I think this is it."

I walked over to him and looked at the book. "What page was it on?"

Morgan flipped through the book before stopping on a page near the end of the book. The page was old and looked worn out. It had the picture of a flaming tree on it with a bunch of graves around it. Some sort of chant was written in Latin on the other side. "I need to say that?"

Morgan nodded.

"But I don't know Latin." I informed him.

"I'll teach you how to say it. Now let's get out of here before someone finds us." Morgan and I walked to the door and just as we were about to exit Morgan went back to the book and ripped out the page. He shoved it in his pocket, closed the book, and followed me out the library.

"You just tore a page out of a really old book! It's probably priceless."

Morgan shrugged. "We can't risk anyone finding it. I have to go, but I'll meet you at 10:00 PM before the ceremony."

I nodded and watched as Morgan walked away.

**Joy's P.O.V.**

"Mara, this is ridiculous." I stated.

"Shh!" Mara brought a pair of binoculars up to her eyes as she stared at Nina and Mick who were seated on a park bench. "They're talking."

I rolled my eyes and squatted beside her. "Nothing is going on between them. They're just friends."

Mara glanced at me and then back at Mick and Nina. "You're probably right. I'm just overreacting."

I nodded and we both stood up. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this…" My eyes were no longer on Mara as she spoke, but on Mick and Nina who were now holding hands.

(***)

"Mara was right!" I stormed into my room where Patricia was lying on her bed listening to music.

She paused her music and sat up to stare at me. "Right about what?"

"Mick is secretly cheating on her with Nina." I exclaimed.

Patricia un-paused her music and put her attention back on her laptop. "Why aren't you freaking out?"

She looked at me and sighed. "I already knew."

"What?" I literally shouted. Patricia stood up and put her hand over my mouth before I could shout anything else. "Why didn't you tell Mara?"

"It's none of my business Joy. I'm not getting involved." Patricia returned to her spot on the bed.

I shook my head. "Mara's one of your best friends."

"Exactly why I'm not telling her. I don't want to be the one to make her cry. Joy, stay out of it."

I sighed. "Fine…"

**Amber's P.O.V.**

Rain collided with the ground hard and I fought to hear Morgan over the loud pitter patter of water hitting all our surroundings. "Do you remember it?" Morgan asked me.

I nodded. "I think."

"I have to go to the meeting. Stay behind the trees; they won't spot you there."

"Okay…" Morgan began to walk away from the small area in the forest. "Be careful."

Morgan tossed a look over his shoulder. "If I don't come back you have to stop him."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Morgan, what exactly is going to happen at this meeting?"

He looked down at the ground. "Just say the chant. Not just for you, but for me."

Before I could get another word out he walked into a wide clearing where a group of students from the school stood. Jerome seemed to be the leader since he was in the middle. I moved a bit closer and hid behind a small shrub.

"Tonight we shall locate all the jewels." Cheers erupted from the group of boys. "The Ancient ceremony will be performed and our past leaders will guide us in the destruction of the world!

"We will gain their power and use the past jewels to show us the new ones. We will finally succeed and avenge chaos! To those who are afraid go now; your fear is not welcomed. Today is the start of a new era! Sacrifice rise!"

Morgan stood and I suddenly understood why saying this chant was so important to him. It could save his life… He was the chosen one which meant he had the blood of the original chaos members. I brushed my wet hair out of my eyes and tried to get a better look.

Jerome now stood on a tree stump and Morgan was shirtless and tied up to a pole. "Do you accept the honor of being the sacrifice?"

Morgan hesitated a bit and looked at the crowd. Jerome narrowed his eyes at him and motioned for one of the boys to hand him something. Jerome striked Morgan with a whip causing him to cry out in pain. "Answer me!"

Morgan nodded. "I accept."

The boys cheered again and Jerome shouted, "Raise the shield."

Some sort of battle cry erupted from the group and a red force field began to form. Soon no rain was getting in and a fire was lit in the center.

"It is time!" Jerome raised his arms up. Someone handed him a book and he flipped through it till he landed on a certain page. "All of thee, who lie underground, rise above and cease to be bound!"

A vortex appeared out of nowhere and swirled in the sky. Thunder and lightning boomed overhead and I pulled the page out of my pocket. The rain had destroyed it, but I remembered what Morgan had taught me.

"Think Amber think…" I looked around the area before taking a deep breath and reciting it.

"_Dic mihi__ animae damnatorum  
>in qui fracti sunt absque diluculo<br>Flammis perdidit vos sunt hic iterum  
>Et quiescam, donec in fine mundi illum<br>Conteram incantatores et nisi animas  
>Quae iam sequuntur a tergo<em>_…"_

I paused and looked at Morgan who was being whipped by other members while the vortex came closer to him. I cringed at the sight of it and tried to remember the final lines of the chant… The only problem was that my mind was blank.

"Take him!"Jerome shouted to the black vortex.

I could feel my hands shaking and shook my head. Tears hidden by the rain streaked my face as I looked at Morgan who was on the verge of death.

"Umm… god, what was it?" I could feel myself growing frustrated. I knew I wouldn't be able to live with the guilt if Morgan died. I had to finish for him. I closed my eyes once more and tried to focus.

"…_Uincere__ daemones ad inferos  
>Ignis ubi conici potest fortis<em>_!"_

I looked back at Morgan and noticed that the vortex was gone and so was the force field and fire. "It is done!" Jerome grinned. I could feel my heart drop as I watched the boys leave. Once they were all gone I ran where Morgan was still tied up. "Morgan!"

I lifted his head which was now drooping forward. His body was soaked in rain and blood. "Morgan!"

I could tell I was crying even more as I untied Morgan and tried to wake him up. "Morgan, please!"

When he didn't answer I let my head fall on his chest. Suddenly, I felt him stir. I quickly shot up. "Morgan?"

His eyes flickered open and he groaned. He tried to sit up, but only ended up yelping in pain.

"Let me help you up." I draped one of his arms over my shoulders and dragged him to the nearest shelter, out of the rain.

When we entered the library it was dark and I helped Morgan down on a table. I grabbed a couple of candles and lit them with a few matches I had found.

After rummaging through everything in the library I found a blanket, rubbing alcohol, and a couple of band aids. I sat on a chair and tried to clean Morgan's wounds. "I'm sorry."

He gave me a strange look. "Why are you apologizing?"

"I forgot the chant and I thought you were dead and I don't know what I'd do without you and I almost got you-,"

"Amber, I'm alive, aren't I?"

I nodded.

"You saved my life and I'm grateful."

"How are you going to continue going to school? A bunch of people think you're dead." I stood up and began wrapping a band aid around Morgan's chest.

He shrugged. "I can't hide. They'd find me."

"But Jerome-,"

"What about Jerome? He's a monster and I'm not letting him win."

"He can't be beat. He's too-,"

Morgan took hold of my hand and forced me to look at him. "Strong? He isn't strong. He's simply cloaked under power that he doesn't deserve."

"What are we going to do?" I asked.

"I'll tell you what we aren't going to do. We aren't going to let him control us anymore. We aren't going to hide in fear. I'm not going to let him hurt you, not again."

"You can't-,"

"Can't stop him?"

I shook my head. "He's going to hurt you."

Morgan scoffed. "I'd like to see him try."

Morgan let go of my hand and I stared at him. His warm breath hit my face and I couldn't help, but feel my mind go a bit fussy as he looked at me with his deep blue eyes. "What about now?" I asked.

"I don't know…" I suddenly had the strong urge to lean forward, but I knew I couldn't. He didn't know that I was basically Jerome's minion. He didn't know that he had touched me everywhere and I felt used and dirty. He didn't know that I didn't own a shred of innocence anymore.

"We can't…" I whispered.

"Why not?" Morgan questioned.

"You know why…" I replied.

"I'm not like him Amber… Trust me…" And he kissed me. It was soft and sweet and everything a kiss should've been like, everything that a kiss with Jerome wasn't like. He placed a hand behind my neck and deepened it and I couldn't help but kiss back with just as much force. When Morgan pulled me close and ran his tongue along my bottom lip, I knew we were going to do more then kiss that night.

**Nina's P.O.V.**

I was seated at the table talking to Patricia when Joy walked into the room. "Mara, you were right." I was able to hear a bit of their conversation.

Mara looked up at Joy who had interrupted the conversation she was having with Mick. Everyone suddenly had their eyes on Joy. "Right about what?"

"Mick, your loving boyfriend-," Mick quickly put his hand over Joy's mouth.

"Watch what you say Joy. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

I could feel my heart thumping harder in my chest.

Mara stood up and looked at Mick and then at Joy. "Let her finish. I want to hear this."

Mick removed his hand from Joy's face and stepped back. "Mick is cheating on you with Nina."

Everyone was suddenly staring at me and I looked down at the table. "Nina, tell me she's lying." Mara demanded.

I shook my head slowly. "I can't."

Mara gasped before walking over to me and slapping me across the face. "You little twat!"

She ran out the room and Mick glanced at me before chasing after Mara. Before anyone could say anything else I ran to my room.

(***)

"Nina?" My head traveled to the owner of the voice and at the doorway stood Fabian.

"Did you come to make me feel bad?" I asked.

Fabian shook his head and stepped into my bedroom. "I came to ask if you were okay."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm ecstatic Fabian. I just got slapped by Mara and I ruined a relationship."

"I just wanted to check up on you to make sure-,"

"Stop Fabian! We will never be best friends again after what happened between us, so just stop trying."

"I know… I just miss you sometimes Nina." He walked over to me and sat on the edge of my bed. I remained silent for a moment before looking at Fabian.

"What happened to us? We used to be so good together, but now we're poison to each other."

Fabian shook his head. "I don't know."

"What did I do to make you love someone that wasn't me?" I questioned.

"Nothing." Fabian sighed.

"Then why are we standing like this today? Why am I still heartbroken? And why are you trying to take advantage of that?" I could feel anger burning in me as I stared at Fabian. "Do you feel the constant need to cause me pain?"

Fabian placed his head in his hands. "It's not like that… It was never like that."

"Then why Fabian? Why?" I shouted.

"Stop!" He replied just as loudly. "Stop acting like you're the only victim when no one has even heard my side of the story! You were slipping away and as hard as I tried to hold on to you… you moved on. You broke me without even realizing it… you destroyed me. So stop yelling like I didn't have a reason, like I had a choice when in reality I had nothing."

"Is that how you felt?" I could feel tears leaving my eyes. "That's how I felt… Fabian, we were pulling away from each other, but I don't think you realize that you went farther… so far that you fell for my best friend."

"You fell for one of mine…" Fabian looked up at me. "So I guess we're even now." He walked pass me, but before he exited the room he turned back to me. "I loved you."

"Funny," I looked down at the ground and then back up at him. "Love was past tense."

Fabian closed his eyes for a second. "I guess it was."

"I want closure Fabian." I bit my lower lip. "I need closure."

"I want to give it to you…" Fabian shook his head. "But you're like a disease that never goes away. I can't find the cure no matter how hard I look. Until then… we can't talk."

"Fabian, you have the cure… You just don't want to take it." I stated.

"Maybe…" Fabian stepped out the room. "Maybe,"

He walked down the hall leaving me alone with my thoughts. I lay down on my bed and just before I drifted off to sleep I could've sworn I saw someone enter the room.

_**AN: Hey, I'm sorry for the long wait but I've been really busy. Also I apologize for the fact that the chapter is a bit rushed. I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter won't be up for a while, but it will be longer and more exciting. In the next chapter we have a few Jerome/ Amber moments since there weren't any in this chapter, Fabian/Nina moments, Mick/Nina moments, and a couple of Morgan/Amber. The next chapter is also kind of dark and revolves around something really serious. Hopefully, you'll keep reading. Please review, subscribe, and favorite!**_

_**-Karina**_

_**P.S. The translation to the chant is:**_

_**Speak to me souls of the lost **_

_**The ones who were broken apart at dawn**_

_**The flames that destroyed you are here again**_

_**And will cease at nothing till the world is at its end**_

_**Break the spell and save the lives**_

_**Of the ones that will soon follow close behind**_

_**Vanquish the demons to the underworld**_

_**Where the fire is strong but can be hurled**_


	12. Failed Cons and Mysterious Notes

_**AN: So there are only three chapters after this one left in the whole story. I know, you're all probably a bit upset, but there will be a sequel that I'm excited to post when I finish this story. This chapter will be in third person and each scene will be separated by a time and location in italics as well as the next few chapters. I hope you enjoy! Read on…**_

_7:59 AM, Anubis House_

His eyes remained glued to the clock above his head as he waited for the hour hand to move to the eight. The hour hand shifted slightly and it had become official; he had lost his mind. Not only had he been sitting for two hours straight, but in the same exact position. Everyone held an intense stare as they waited for him to move. Alfie had money on two more minutes, Joy said ten, and Patricia said never.

Mick suddenly sat up straight. Alfie silently cheered and held out his hands for the money Patricia and Joy owed him. The two girls rolled their eyes and handed him each five pounds. "Hey, that wasn't what you bet!"

"Sorry Alfie…" Patricia shrugged.

Alfie's shoulders slumped and he turned back to Mick who was now standing and staring at the table. "What's wrong with Mick?"

Amber shook her head in response to Alfie's question. Mick suddenly turned to look at his housemates before walking out the dining room and into his room. Amber exchanged glances with everyone and stepped forward. "I'll go talk to him."

She walked away from her housemates and headed to Mick's room. When Amber reached the door she lightly knocked and waited for Mick to answer. The door quickly opened and Mick pulled her into the room before closing the door and locking it behind him. His eyes scanned the area almost as if he was trying to make sure the two were alone.

"Mick, what's going on?"

Mick stepped forward and in a low voice said, "Remember what you told me that day when there was a big party?"

"Yes, but I don't see how that has any relevance to…" Mick handed a note to Amber.

"I found that on Nina's bed when I came to look for her last night. It was meant for you."

Amber's eyes scanned the note quickly and when she finished it her hand tightened causing the note to crumble. "What does this mean?"

Mick took the paper from Amber's hand before giving her a look. "I think you know Amber. They have Nina and they won't give her back until they have all the jewels… including you."

_8:25 AM, Osiris House_

Morgan stared at Amber as she finished explaining everything to him. He shook his head and looked at the two teens that sat in front of him. "So you're saying that they kidnapped your friend-,"

"My girlfriend." Mick added.

"Yes," Morgan glanced at Mick. "His girlfriend and they won't give her back unless you give them all the jewels?"

"Yes, and we have a deadline." Amber added.

Morgan straightened up. "How long?"

"Two weeks to find all the jewels and give them to him." Mick answered.

"Who's _him_?" Morgan asked.

"Umm…" Mick's eyes searched the paper. "All it says is '_from C'_."

"Oh my god…" Amber got out of her seat and snatched the note from Mick's hand. "C must mean-,"

"Clarke… as in Jerome's father." Morgan finished for her. "This is really bad."

"How are we going to find all the jewels?" Amber asked.

Morgan sighed. "I know where they all are."

"What?" Amber practically yelled. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't tell anyone." Morgan stated.

"Fair enough. Where are they?" Amber asked.

Morgan looked down at the ground and rubbed the back of his neck. "One is in a museum, another is right in front of me, and the third… Jerome has."

"What? How are we going to get it from Jerome?" Amber shook her head before returning to her seat.

"Actually that's the easy one to get. Breaking into a museum is what I'm worried about." Morgan exclaimed. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know. Any ideas Mick?" Amber looked at the blonde boy who sat on the chair across from her not saying a word.

"What if they hurt her?" Mick blurted out.

"What?" Amber gave him a strange look.

"Nina…" Mick stood from his seat. "What if they hurt her?"

Amber sighed. "We can't think about that. We need to find the jewels. We'll get her back Mick, don't worry."

Mick walked over to the window. "We need someone."

"For what?" Morgan asked.

Mick turned to face the two. "We need someone to hack into the computer system at the museum to shut down security while Amber sneaks in and grabs the jewel from its case. She'll have precisely ten seconds to take it out and replace it with a fake before the alarms turn back on and activate. Morgan will find a way to open the door to the roof where we can access a vent that is able to send us to the back of the museum into the dumpsters with the jewel. Then we make a quick escape and go straight to Jerome's father. Oh and there will be lasers that if touched will automatically signal the police as well as trigger plates. By the time they figure out the jewel is a fake we'll be long gone and there will be no evidence leading back to us."

"How do you know all this?" Morgan asked.

"Let's just say I have some free time on my hands some days." Mick answered simply.

Amber lightly shook her head. "So I guess it's up to me to get the jewel from Jerome. What do I do?"

Morgan and Mick exchanged looks before simultaneously saying, "Seduce him."

"Of course that was your idea." Amber got up and headed for the door. "After I get the jewel we need to find someone that is able to hack into the system."

"I think I know someone who can. Mick and I will try to convince them." Morgan stated.

Amber nodded and opened the door to Osiris house. Before exiting she turned back to them. "We meet here in two hours."

The two nodded and Amber exited the house. She paused at the doorsteps and looked down at the note that was in her hands. "We'll get you back Nina… Don't worry."

_10:15 AM, Courtyard near fountain_

"Who are we looking for?" Mick asked.

"Umm…" Morgan scanned the area before spotting someone near the fountain. "Her."

A girl with curly golden blonde hair and grayish blue eyes sat near the fountain while reading a book. Sunlight seemed to shower her flawless fair skin giving her the appearance of an angel. Mick stared at the girl and than looked at Morgan. "She's gorgeous."

"Yeah, and?" Morgan asked.

Mick pointed at the girl. "How can someone that looks like a goddess hack computers?"

Morgan shook his head in response before walking to the girl. Mick sighed and followed close behind. "Excuse me?"

"Can I help you?" She spoke with an American accent.

"You're Michaela, right?" Morgan asked.

She put her book down and nodded. "Yep, what do you want?"

"A mate of mine told me you're good with computers. Is that true?" He questioned.

Michaela gave him a strange look. "Why do you want to know?"

"We'll tell you when you answer the question." Mick replied.

Michaela raised an eyebrow at him before crossing her legs and folding her arms over her chest. "Sorry, but I don't talk to strangers."

Morgan pushed Mick to the side and stepped closer. "We need your help."

"With what?" She asked.

"We need you to hack into a computer system." He answered.

Michaela stared at Morgan with wide eyes. "What?"

"Exactly what I said. Can you do it?"

"You're Morgan, aren't you?" Her voice contained a bit of shock that was well hidden.

"Yeah," Morgan eyed her curiously. "And?"

Michaela took a deep breath before uncrossing her arms and digging through her bag. She took out a piece of paper and a pen and wrote something down quickly. After a few minutes of writing she looked up. "Blondie?"

Mick turned his head to Michaela. "What?"

She handed him the piece of paper before picking up her bag and proceeding to leave. Before she walked away she leaned forward and whispered into Mick's ear, "Don't trust him. He's cursed."

Michaela started walking before Mick was able to respond. He watched as her heels clicked against the stone floor and she disappeared into the crowd of students.

"What's wrong?" Morgan looked at Mick and saw a confused expression on his face.

Instead of replying Mick opened up the paper and stared at her neat handwriting. In perfect Latin it read:

_Una __cum mortuis __resurgat __conspectu__  
><em>_Imperium per __susurros __et clamoribus __in __capitibus eorum__  
><em>_Sunt reales__, non __est__  
><em>_Audete __credere __es_

_11:05 AM, Anubis House_

Amber leaned against the countertop as she read the note for about the hundredth time that day. She still couldn't process everything that had happened, but there was one thing she was sure of… It was all her fault.

"Amber, have you seen Nina? We have a project we have to work on that is due tomorrow." Fabian strolled into the kitchen.

"Umm…" Amber glanced down at the note quickly before shoving it into her pocket. "She's visiting her family in America."

"Really?" Fabian sighed. "I guess I have to do the project on my own."

"You know where Jerome is?" Amber asked.

Fabian shrugged. "I saw him leave the house a minute ago."

She nodded and walked out the room. "Well, maybe I should try my plan first."

Amber quietly made her way to Jerome and Alfie's room. She took a quick peek inside to see if anyone was in there. When Amber knew it was empty she slipped inside and closed the door behind her. "If I were a priceless jewel where would I be..."

Amber searched around for what felt like hours, but in reality actually was a few minutes. She stopped and stepped back before scanning the room. "It has to be hidden in plain sight."

Her eyes examined the room before they spotted something. Amber walked forward and bent down. She knocked on a loose floorboard on the ground. "It's hollow…"

Amber lifted up the floorboard at the edge and caught a glimpse of something. She quickly removed the entire thing and pulled out a blue velvet pouch. Amber opened it and let whatever was inside fall into her hands. A small green emerald sat at the edge of her palm. Amber's eyes widened as she stared at the stone that sparkled in the light. "Wow… it's-,"

"What are you doing here?" Amber spun around at the sound of another voice and saw Jerome standing a few feet away from her. "Alfie asked me to get his football."

"Really?" Jerome stepped forward before pointing to the pouch in her hand. "Last time I checked a football was round and black and white; not a blue pouch that clearly doesn't belong to you."

Amber gulped as Jerome snatched the pouch out of her hand. "I suggest next time you're going to try and steal something, lock the door."

Amber ran past Jerome quickly and exited the room. Once she was out of the house Amber felt a small smile spread on her face. She looked down at her ring-less finger and the emerald in her hand before making her way to Osiris House.

_12:37 PM, Osiris House_

Morgan stared at the priceless green emerald through the magnifying glass in his hand. After a minute more he set down the magnifying glass and turned to face Amber and Mick. "It's real."

"How did you get it?" Mick asked from his spot across the room.

Amber shrugged before standing from her seat on Morgan's bed. "The most important thing is how are going to get the last one."

"Well, that girl wasn't any help, so we need to find someone else by tomorrow." Morgan stated.

Amber nodded. "Let's talk later. I have to work on my history assignment with Patricia."

Mick followed Amber out the room leaving Morgan by himself. Morgan turned back to his desk and opened up his laptop. He typed something in, opening a bunch of documents on the screen.

"What've you been hiding Morgan?" Morgan remained still as he took in the sound of someone else's voice.

"Nothing of your interest." He spun around to face Jerome.

Jerome tsked as he walked around the room. "Last time I checked you were supposed to be dead."

Morgan's expression remained neutral as he spoke. "Guess Osiris doesn't want me."

Jerome chuckled at his response and headed towards him. "I know what you and Amber are planning and I want to congratulate you for getting this far."

"Anything honest you have to tell me?" Morgan stated.

Jerome's smile grew wider and he bent down so he was eye level with Morgan. "Do you have any idea what I'm capable of?"

"Sorry," Morgan leaned forward, "You might have to fill me in."

Jerome shook his head lightly before bringing his hands forward and lifting up Morgan's sleeve revealing a tattoo of a crest surrounded by fire. "I can make you die with a single snap of my fingers."

"Then why don't you?" Morgan spat out.

Jerome had started walking out the room by this point. At last minute he turned back and smirked. "What would be the fun in that?"

Halfway down the hallway Morgan heard Jerome yell, "Tell Amber to return the emerald before I have to get it myself."

Morgan leaned back in his seat as he stared down at his arm. Before he turned back to his computer he could have sworn he saw the tattoo glow.

_1:17 PM, School Garden_

Mick spotted Michaela sitting in the gazebo in the school garden. He made his way over to her and she looked up when she head footsteps. "What does it mean?"

Michaela raised an eyebrow as she stared at Mick. In her eyes she couldn't help but notice how it seemed like he had just woken up. His hair was standing up at odd angles and bags lay under his eyes. His clothes were wrinkled and his backpack was opened with half of its components getting ready to spill out. He held the note she had written him in his hand.

"The note, what does it mean?" He repeated the question.

Michaela sighed before she snatched the note from his hands. "It's Latin."

"I know that much, but what does it say?" He replied anxiously.

"It reads:

_The one with the sight shall rise with the dead_

_Controlled by the whispers and cries in their heads_

_They are not real, they are not there_

_You are only to believe if you dare."_

"And what does that mean?" Mick questioned.

Michaela rolled her eyes before standing up and slinging her backpack over one shoulder. "It means your little friend can't be trusted."

"How do you know this?" He asked as she began walking away.

"I have secrets too Blondie." She responded. "I also know everyone else's secrets."

"And what does that mean?" Mick's mind was filled with a lot of questions at this point.

"Guess you'll just have to find out on your own." And as usual, before Mick could say anything she was already out of sight.

_**AN: Hope you liked! The next chapter may be posted a long time from now or maybe this weekend. You'll just have to wait and see. By the way, I hope you liked Michaela because she will be in the next few chapters and maybe even in the sequel. I haven't decided yet. Keep reading and review, favorite, and alert!**_

_**-Karina**_

_**P.S. Doesn't that tattoo Morgan have sound familiar? Check chapter five.**_


	13. Unknown Allies and Stolen Jewels

_**AN: Sorry for the long wait, but I've been preoccupied with all the homework and applications I have to fill out as well as all the tests. This chapter was probably my favorite to write and a lot happens. There are Jerome and Amber scenes, but they are all conversations. I hope you like because the next chapter will be dramatic, not as dramatic as this one, but still very dramatic. This is one of the longest chapters which I owe to you for the long wait. Enjoy…**_

_3:46 PM, The Library_

"You have to stop following me." Michaela set down the book she had in her hands to look at Mick.

"I need your help." Mick took a seat in front of her. She sighed and proceeded to stand up, but Mick beat her to it.

Michaela rolled her eyes and glared at him. "Look, I don't care about some-,"

"Please." The word came out timid, almost as if a little kid had said it. Michaela stared at him for a moment before sitting back down. "I'll listen, but I'm not going to promise anything else."

Mick nodded and also sat back down. "It's a long story."

Michaela put her elbows on the table and held her chin in her hand. "I have time."

_5:17 PM, Anubis House_

"You're insane." Michaela shook her head once more as the pair made their way to Anubis House.

"I'm serious," Mick stopped her in front of the doorway. "I'll prove it to you."

She sighed and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "What do I have to lose?"

He grinned and opened the door only to be met with complete chaos. Shouts were heard all throughout the house as Alfie tried to jump Jerome. Jerome stood on the far right of the room watching Alfie with a smirk as Fabian and Mara held him back. Amber stood in front of Alfie trying to get him to reason.

"What's going on?" Mick dropped his backpack near the doorway and stepped into the room. Michaela stood in the hallway, trying to remain unseen.

Almost if on cue, everyone in the room froze and looked at Mick. "Just having a friendly dispute." Joy stated from her spot on the sofa.

"Who's that? Another girl you cheated on me with?" Mara spat out at Mick.

He shook his head, but before he could say anything else Alfie slipped out of Fabian's grasp and punched Jerome. Michaela stepped towards Mick and said, "Maybe this is a bad time."

"No, it's fine. It's actually always like this around here." Mick watched Alfie and Jerome.

"Oh…" Michaela chuckled a bit. "Great."

Jerome chuckled and shook his head as he brought his hand up to his face and wiped away the blood coming from his nose. He remained still for a few seconds before taking a step forward and punching Alfie right back.

Alfie collapsed onto the ground and instead of waiting for him to get back up, Jerome left the room.

"Umm… Yeah, maybe you're right." Mick turned to Michaela. "We'll talk about this later."

She nodded in agreement, but before she left she opened up her backpack and handed Mick something. "I got this at the library a few days ago. Maybe it'll be of use to you."

"Thanks." Mick looked down at the big old leather bound book she had handed him. He opened it up and stared down at the tattered worn pages.

"I can't believe you slept with Jerome." Mick quickly shut the book and looked back into the living room to see Alfie yelling at Amber.

"That's why you broke up with me, isn't it?" He accused.

Amber shook her head. "No, I just-,"

"What?" He shouted. "What other lie do you have to tell me?"

Amber remained quiet and turned to leave the room. Mick stopped her before she could go up to her room. "Hey, what happened?"

Amber looked back at Alfie who was now staring at her and Mick. "Umm… It's a long story. Maybe I'll tell you later. What's that you've got in your hands?"

Mick looked down at the book. "Oh, I was actually coming to talk to you about…" He trailed off.

"Okay, let's go to my room." The two headed up the stairs while ignoring the eyes that seemed to track them as they moved.

_11:12 PM, School Grounds_

A hooded figure made its way through the dark campus. Its feet collided with the stone pathways as it headed to the houses where the students lived. It paused in front of one particular house and slowly began climbing up the steep steps to the front door. As its hand grasped the doorknob it could feel a burning sensation quickly take over it. It snatched its hand from the doorknob and muttered a curse under its breath before looking up to find the door opened and a girl leaning against the side of it. Her curly golden blonde hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail and her usual attire had been replaced with a black V-neck T-shirt, black studded heel boots, and short tattered jean shorts that showed off her long gorgeous legs. A smirk lit up her angelic face as her grayish blue eyes watched the figure slowly. She brought a finger up to her lips and let a light _shhh_ leave her mouth. She stepped back and beckoned for the figure to enter the house. Once it was in she closed the door and turned to it. "Can I help you?"

"Why couldn't I enter on my own?"

The smirk on her face grew and she shrugged. "I guess you aren't welcome."

"Cut the act. You did it, didn't you?"

"What do you want?" She ignored its question and walked into the kitchen where she picked up a glass of water and took a sip.

"You know how to get it."

She set the glass down and walked into the living area and took a seat on the sofa. "And?"

"I want it."

She laughed at its statement and sat back. "Sorry, I don't give out favors."

"Don't play with me. I don't like games."

"Who said it was a game?" The smirk reappeared on her face and she stood back up and walked to the door. "Shouldn't you be leaving?"

"I always get what I want."

She chuckled and sighed. "So do I."

"And that's what I like about you." The figure stepped forward, invading her personal space.

"Why don't you go back to your little girlfriend?" She stated.

"Oh, so you heard about that. Is someone jealous?"

"In your dreams." She spat out.

"I guess I'm dreaming then."

"Seriously, you need to go."

"Let's just have some fun… You like fun, don't you?"

She lightly shook her head causing her bangs to cover her eyes. Before she could push them away, she was beat to it. "You know names are powerful."

"Really?"

"Yeah," She slid off the hood and stared into his eyes. "Don't you agree, Jerome?"

He sighed and bent down so he was closer to her. "Yes Michaela."

She rolled her eyes and opened up the door. "Go."

"I thought you liked me." He teased.

"Sorry," Michaela shrugged. "Not and will never be your girlfriend."

"I'm not asking for a relationship. I just want to have some fun." Jerome forced the door closed with his hand and stared at her. "And I know you do too."

Michaela stepped back causing her body to collide with the door. Jerome smirked and stepped forward, but before he pressed his lips against hers he paused. "Why did I get burned?"

"This is the house of Thoth, the god of wisdom. I know who my enemies are and if you couldn't enter than you're obviously one of them."

He nodded. "Then why am I still here."

"Shut up before I change my mind." Michaela grabbed his tie and pulled him into a kiss. She could feel Jerome smile as he kissed back and brought his hand up to her face. She briefly pulled away to look at him. "We have to be quiet. My housemates may be on a camping trip, but my house mother and the keeper are not."

"Aren't we always quiet?" Michaela rolled her eyes at his comment and reconnected their lips. Her hand tangled itself into his messy blonde hair as his slid down from her face to her leg where it lifted it up and wrapped it around his waist. His tongue battled with hers before he removed his lips from hers and brought them down to his neck where he sucked on her flawless skin. Michaela's head fell back against the wooden door and a moan escaped her parted lips.

Jerome smiled to himself and brought his lips back up to hers as his hands gripped the bottom of her shirt and lifted it over her head exposing her black lace bra. Jerome stared down at her chest and heard Michaela laugh. "Like what you see?"

He glanced back up at her with lust filled eyes and in a husky voice said, "Yeah, I do."

His lips found hers once more in a passionate kiss and he lifted her up fully from the ground and led them to her room. When they arrived at her door, Jerome pressed her up against it and let her feet touch the ground once more as she fumbled with the buttons of his shirt. Once Michaela undid all the buttons she slid it down his arms and let it hit the ground followed by his tie.

Jerome let a hand trail down her soft skin to her chest as he used the other to blindly grope for the door knob. When he found it he opened the door and allowed Michaela to step back as he closed the door, without breaking their kiss. He pushed her down onto the bed and climbed on top of her.

"You sure you still want to do this?"

Michaela stared up at him and shook her head. "No… But when do I ever listen to the warnings in my head."

Jerome smirked and placed a chaste kiss on her lips as she lay back and he went lower and lower pressing light kisses against her skin. Michaela stared up at the ceiling and let her eyes fall close as pleasure took over.

_7:35 AM, Thoth House_

Michaela groaned and sat up in her bed as she looked down at the person lying sound asleep beside her. She sighed and pushed the covers off of her before heading to the bathroom and quickly stepping into the shower.

After five minutes she stepped back into the room only to see Jerome still asleep. She rolled her eyes and headed to her closet to pick out something to wear for the day.

She pulled out the typical white button up shirt and plaid skirt as well as underwear and a bra. Once she had put the pieces of clothing on she grabbed her blazer and put it over the shirt and picked up her stud heel boots from the floor and put them on.

Michaela sat in front of the mirror and applied a bit of make-up before unclipping her hair and shaking it out, so the blonde curly locks fell to her shoulders. She stood back up and glanced at the still sleeping Jerome and chuckled to herself.

Michaela slung her one-shoulder backpack over her shoulder and walked out the room to the kitchen. She returned with an apple in her hand and took a small bite out of it. She stepped further into the room and walked to the bed. She stared at him for a moment before picking up a nearby pillow and throwing it at him. When he didn't react she smacked him over the head only to still get no reaction.

She sighed and leaned down so her lips were practically touching his ear. "I'm not wearing any clothes."

Michaela could see Jerome smirk before he turned over and looked at her. "Good morning."

She rolled her eyes and walked to the door. "I have to get to class."

"What? No goodbye kiss?" He teased.

"Not your girlfriend, remember?" He chuckled at the statement.

"Will I see you later?" He asked.

Michaela let out a deep breath. "I gotta go."

"Come on. One kiss." He responded.

She ignored his statement and said, "Don't let my house mother come in and see you naked."

Jerome laughed and watched as she finally left and closed the door behind her.

_8:42 AM, French Class_

"You're forty-two minutes late. Wish to explain Mr. Clarke?"

Jerome strolled into the classroom as all eyes stared at him. "Not really."

"Did you even bother to properly get dressed? Your hair and clothes are a mess."

"No, I did not bother to dress properly." Jerome took the only free seat behind Mick who was sitting next to Amber.

"Okay, never mind that. You have detention. Now back to the lesson." As the teacher continued their lecture Jerome leaned forward and whispered to Mick, "Don't talk to Michaela again."

Mick quickly turned to face him. "How do you know her?"

He smirked. "Let's just say we're good friends."

"I guess you'd like to join him Mr. Campbell."

Mick sighed and looked back at the front of the classroom.

"No more talking."

Mick nodded and as the lesson continued, he could practically feel Jerome's eyes burning a hole through the back of his head.

_11:48 AM, Common Room_

Mick spotted Michaela sitting on one of the sofas with a book and apple in her hand. He made his way over to her and snatched the book from her hand. Instead of acknowledging his presence, Michaela took a bite out of her apple and took another book out of her backpack.

"How do you know Jerome?" Mick questioned.

Michaela sighed and set down her second book before snatching the first one from Mick's hands. "Don't touch my books."

"How do you know Jerome?" He repeated.

Michaela rolled her eyes. "Why do you care?"

"Because he's evil." Mick stated.

"I know." She casually replied.

"Then why are you friends with him?" He asked.

Michaela shook her head. "We aren't friends."

"Then what are you?"

She shrugged and took another bite out of her apple. "You tell me."

"You do realize he's part of Chaos. Why do you even talk to him?" Mick asked.

"Look, I met Jerome during the second quarter of the school year and as far as I know he wants the same thing you want."

Mick ran a hand through his hair and took a seat in front of her. "You aren't going to give it to him, are you?"

"He's a bit more persuasive."

Mick rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you're afraid of him."

Michaela chuckled at his comment and sat up in the chair. "He generates fire and can mark anyone without even touching them."

"Mark? What is that?" He asked.

"It's a tattoo he gives to people that get in his way. If you have it he can kill you with a snap of his fingers. Your two little friends have one and I bet you're next." She informed him.

"I'm not afraid of Jerome."

"He isn't the one you should be afraid of." Michaela picked up her two books from the table and shoved them into her backpack.

"Hold on. What do you mean?"

Michaela sighed and stood up, but before she walked away she looked at Mick. "I suggest you find yourself a new girlfriend. Doesn't look like you're going to be seeing her anytime soon."

"Why are you helping him?" Mick asked.

"I'm not. I prefer not to get involved." As Michaela walked out the room Mick grabbed her wrist.

"Please." Michaela froze for a moment before shaking her head and snatching her wrist away.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

Michaela left the room without another word.

_2:35 PM, Anubis House_

"Amber, what a pleasure to see you." Jerome was leaning against the wall when Amber entered her room.

"What do you want?" She asked.

Jerome smirked and walked over to her desk. "I suppose Morgan gave you my message. Where is it?"

Amber pressed her hand against her pocket almost instinctively causing Jerome to chuckle. "You can't have it."

He shook his head and put down the picture frame he had been holding. "Nina is such a pretty girl, don't you think? It would be a shame to see that face completely burned and destroyed. I can only imagine how mad Mick will be when he finds out you were the reason for his girlfriend's death."

Amber took a deep breath and looked down at the ground. "I won't let you hurt her."

Jerome scoffed. "What do you think is going on right now? Do you think whips are fun? How about fire? I'm sure Morgan can tell you how much it hurts. Would you like to see Nina in pain?"

Jerome waved his hand through the air causing an image to appear in flames. Nina was tied up with shackles against a wall as two people put heated metal rods against her skin. She was crying and screaming as the pain washed over her body.

Amber stared at the image as tears left her eyes. Jerome waved the image away knowing he had proved his point. He stepped forward so he was in front of Amber and brought a hand up to her face. "You shouldn't waste your tears. You're going to need them when everyone you love is dead."

"I won't let you have your way with me." She stated.

"Oh Amber… I have someone else to have fun with." Jerome stepped back and headed to the door. He paused for a moment and turned back before raising up his hand and showing her the green emerald. "You should never take what isn't yours."

With those final words Jerome left the room and Amber collapsed to the floor in tears.

_3:16 PM, Osiris House_

"Great," Morgan turned to face Amber and Mick. "Now we have one jewel. How do you suppose we are going to get the other ones?"

Mick shrugged and leaned against the dresser. "Maybe we should just give them to Jerome after all."

"First of all, one of 'them' is standing in this very room and doesn't exactly want to go to Jerome." Amber replied.

"I thought you were his personal slave or something." Mick stated.

Amber shook her head. "Apparently I'm boring and he has someone else to play with."

"We have to get the emerald back from him." Morgan got out of his seat. "Maybe we can swap it with a fake,"

Mick stood up straight. "Guys,"

"Or maybe we can trick him into giving it to us."

"Guys,"

"Or we can somehow-,"

"Guys!" Amber and Morgan looked at Mick. "I think I know how to get the jewel."

"How?" Amber asked.

Mick looked at the two. "Not how, but who."

_4:02 PM, School Garden_

"I thought I told you to stop following me." Michaela looked up from her book and saw Morgan, Amber, and Mick. "And you brought the rest of the Scooby gang with you too. You're missing the smart one and the dog."

"Michaela, how do you know Jerome?" Mick asked.

She sighed. "I thought we went over this already."

"No, you didn't tell the truth, so spill." Mick responded.

Michaela shook her head and laughed. "I don't know what's up with you British folk and mysteries, but it has to stop."

"Answer the question." Morgan demanded.

Michaela scoffed and narrowed her eyes at Morgan. "Shouldn't you be dead?"

"I should be a lot of things, but I'm not." Morgan answered.

Michaela sighed and looked at Amber. "So you're the girlfriend? Huh… I could've sworn you sounded prettier."

Amber glared at her and stepped forward. "You're avoiding the question."

"Fine," Michaela stood up and walked to the three. "I'm a descendent of Thoth, the god of Wisdom."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Mick asked.

Michaela smiled and walked over to the flowers. "I have the answer to everything."

Morgan scoffed. "I doubt that."

"Really? Ask me any question. I dare you." She stepped towards Morgan.

He sighed and uncrossed his arms. "What are the three jewels?"

"Wow, that's all you got?" She laughed at him.

"Just answer it." Amber demanded.

"The emerald of Cleopatra, the blood ruby, and…" Michaela turned to Amber. "You. Well, not exactly you, but you know what I mean."

"No, what do you mean?" Amber asked.

A smirk settled on Michaela's face. "You don't know do you? They don't want you. They want," Michaela pointed at her chest, "that."

"My… heart?" Amber looked down at her chest.

"Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner." Michaela walked back to the gazebo and picked up her backpack and book.

"That means I'm going to die." Amber stared down at the ground. "I'm going to die."

Michaela looked at the three teens. "It's been fun, but I have to go."

Before Michaela exited the garden she turned back around and tossed Mick a pouch.

Mick opened it up and saw the green emerald as well as a flash drive. "Whose side are you on?"

Michaela shrugged. "My own. Good luck finding the jewel. The exhibit closes in two days. That book I gave you will help."

Mick watched as she walked away before turning to Morgan and Amber. "Are you okay?"

She nodded and looked up at the two boys. "I'll be fine. We'll get the jewel at the museum and we'll go from there."

"What's going to happen after we get the jewel?" Morgan asked.

"We're going to find Nina and save her." Amber sighed before taking the green emerald from Mick's hand. "And then I'm going to die."

_**AN: Well, that's it and I apologize for the lack of Amber and Jerome scenes, but there will be more in the last chapter. Only two more chapters till this story ends, but don't worry because there will be a sequel. I personally love this chapter as well as Michaela. I don't know why, but I love characters that have a bit of an attitude and are sarcastic. I hope you like and if you did then subscribe, favorite, and review!**_

_**-Karina**_


	14. Blueprints and Planned Heists

_**AN: Sorry for the long wait, but you should be used to this by now so… Anyways the next chapter will be the last, but there will be a sequel that I'm excited to post. The sequel takes place four months after the events of the last chapter. I will let you all know when the sequel is up by updating this story with an author's note. Also, I recently put up a new story. It's called '**__**Before we turn to Stone'**__**. I'm really excited and I've been working on it for awhile. There is also Jamber in the story, so feel free to check it out. Now, on to the story…**_

_9:32 AM, Osiris House_

"Okay," Morgan rolled out the blueprints and set them down on the table. He let his eyes scan the blueprints before looking up at Amber and Mick.

"How did you get those?" Amber asked as she bent over the table and stared at the layout of the whole museum.

Morgan shrugged. "It doesn't matter. What does matter is that we figure out a way to shut down the security long enough to get the jewel."

"Okay, how do we do that?" Mick asked.

Morgan sighed as he leaned against his nightstand. "I don't know. Now that Michaela has made it clear that she doesn't want to be involved we need to find someone else. It doesn't matter who it is as long as the person can work a computer."

Amber shook her head. "I don't know anyone who can."

"What if one of us could do it?" Mick suggested.

"None of us knows how." Morgan pointed out.

Mick shrugged. "Who says we can't learn?"

_10:05 AM, Computer Lab_

"It's all up to you Amber." Mick placed a hand on her shoulder.

Amber sighed before turning back to the two. "Why do I have to learn?"

"Because I'm look out and Mick is the one getting the jewel." Morgan stated.

Amber's shoulders slumped and she turned back to the computer in front of her. "How do I do this?"

Mick leaned down so he could see the computer screen. "Create a virus that'll be able to destroy the security system. Once you do that just find a way to crack the firewall code, so you can control all the cameras and alarms."

"That sounds hard." Amber declared as she stared at the random numbers and letters dancing on the screen.

Morgan shook his head. "No, it isn't."

"Fine… I'll call you guys when I figure something out." Morgan and Mick left Amber to herself and left the computer lab.

"I have to get to class. We'll meet up later." Mick stated before turning the opposite way. Mick suddenly ran into someone and stepped back to see who it was.

"Well, if it isn't the newest member of Amber's little club." Jerome grabbed Mick by his collar and dragged him into the nearest empty classroom. Once they entered the room Jerome shoved Mick into the desks. "We have some business to discuss."

_12:24 PM, Osiris House_

"Where's Mick? We called him five times in the last hour." Amber stated as she paced the room.

Morgan stood by his desk as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. "We can't worry. Maybe something came up."

The door to the room suddenly opened and Mick limped in. "What happened to you?" Amber asked. She stared at Mick who had a bloody nose, busted lip, black eye, cut cheek, and a limp to his walk. He held his right arm with his hand as he slowly made his way over to Morgan's bed. "Jerome paid me a little visit."

Mick removed his hand from his arm revealing a tattoo of a crest surrounded by fire. "He needed to give me a little gift."

_12:56 PM, Anubis House_

Amber entered the house and spotted Jerome in the kitchen with Fabian. She marched into the room and before Fabian could protest she pointed to the door and said, "Out."

"I think I'll be leaving." Fabian stated before exiting the room.

Amber's head snapped back to Jerome after Fabian left the room. "Why did you do that to Mick?"

A slight smirk began to form on Jerome's face and he leaned back against the counter. "What ever do you mean Amber?"

"Don't play dumb." Amber spat out at him. "You gave him one of these."

Amber pulled up her sleeve to reveal the tattoo at her wrist.

"Well, I had to induct him into your little club. Everyone knows you need a symbol to identify each other."

Amber shook her head and pushed her sleeve back down. "Why are doing this?"

"Besides the fact that I enjoy watching you suffer, I'm on a mission." Jerome replied.

"What kind of mission?" Amber questioned.

"Now, Amber, no questions allowed." Jerome responded.

Amber rolled her eyes. "Right, I'll never know the answer to anything except I soon will."

"And why's that?" Jerome took a step towards her.

"Now, Jerome, no questions allowed." She mocked him.

Jerome narrowed his eyes at her and snatched her wrist. "I wasn't asking, I was demanding."

"Let me let you in on a little secret." Amber stepped forward and in a low voice said, "I'm not scared of you."

"Really?" Jerome tightened his hold on her wrist.

"Yeah," Amber pulled as hard as she could and was able to release her arm from his grasp. "I now know that you aren't the mastermind of this operation."

Jerome scoffed. "And who told you that?"

"You don't know?" Amber chuckled a bit. "Apparently your little friend Michaela is good for things outside the bed room too. Sorry Jerome, but you are the least of my worries."

Before Jerome could even react Amber walked out the room.

_1:30 PM, Thoth House_

"What did you tell them?" Jerome barged into the house as soon as Michaela opened the door.

"Hi Jerome, yeah I'm fine, how are you, that's great, of course you can come in." Michaela rolled her eyes and closed the door behind him.

"What did you tell them?" He repeated.

Michaela casually walked past him into the kitchen. She grabbed the cup of hot coffee that rested on the counter and took a sip. "Want some?" Michaela smirked as she brought the cup towards him.

When he didn't respond Michaela shrugged and set the coffee down before hopping up onto the counter and picking it back up.

"Amber says she knows that I'm not the one making the decisions." Jerome stated.

Michaela shrugged. "Pity."

"Do you think this is funny?" Jerome snarled at her.

Michaela chuckled as she leaned forward so her face was centimeters away from his. "What do you not understand about not getting involved?"

Jerome glared at her. "Stop talking to them."

"You can't control what I do." She replied.

"If you don't I will make your life miserable." Jerome responded.

She cocked her head to the side. "I don't think that's possible since my life is already a living hell."

"Don't you dare tell them anything else about me."

"Or what?"

"You don't want to know what I'll do to you."

"That's it." Michaela slammed her cup down on the counter and hopped off so she was on her feet. "I don't care about your little feud and I don't care that I pissed you off. I have my own stuff to worry about and don't have time for your soap opera problems. Now get out or drink some damn coffee!"

Jerome stared at Michaela. She let out a deep breath and brought her hand up to brush her hair out of her eyes, but before she could Jerome grabbed her wrist. He pushed her up against the counter and pressed himself against her.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

Jerome didn't reply. Instead he crashed his lips against hers. Michaela struggled to push him off for a moment, but was able to shove him with her free hand. She wiped her mouth and pointed at the door. "Get out."

"Michaela,"

"I said get out!" She shouted.

Jerome sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I can't do that."

"Jerome, I'm serious."

"And so am I." He stated. Michaela stepped back to distance herself from him, but he stepped forward.

"Stay away." She took another step only to be met with a wall.

"Michaela, calm down." Jerome walked up to her and tried to press his lips against hers.

She turned her head causing him to kiss her cheek. "Get away."

Jerome ignored her and went in for another kiss only to have her turn her head again.

"Michaela, just relax." He brought his hand up and forced her to face him. "Just relax."

"Stop." Michaela struggled against him and tried to move, but he trapped her body. "Jerome, stop."

Jerome didn't answer. He looked into her eyes and brought a finger up to his lips. "Shhh…"

"Jerome…" Michaela's voice was weak and she heard it crack as tears slipped from her eyes. "Please, stop."

Again he ignored her pleas and continued to kiss her. She tried to thrash her arms and legs, but he was too strong to move. "Help! Help! He-," Jerome clamped his hand over her mouth and began sucking the skin at her neck.

Michaela bit down on his hand and Jerome jumped back as he stared at his hand. "Get. Out. Now."

Fire seemed to burn in Michaela's eyes as she stared at Jerome. "Look, I'm-,"

"Now!" Her voice was loud and strong as she slapped him across the face. Jerome didn't even flinch at her touch.

He watched as Michaela ran out the room and up the stairs. He could hear a slight whimpering sound as she exited.

_5:56 PM, Courtyard_

Mick walked though the school grounds staring at his surroundings. He suddenly spotted a familiar head of blonde hair by the fountain and made his way over to her. "Hey."

Michaela kept her head down as she stared at her book. "Michaela?" Mick took a seat beside her.

"Leave me alone."

Mick sighed. "Alright."

As Mick got up to walk away something in his head told him to stay. He looked down at her for a moment before saying, "Why won't you help us?"

Michaela sighed as she set her book down. "I just can't."

"Is it because you're sleeping with Jerome?"

Michaela's head snapped up and she looked at him. "I'm not sleeping with Jerome."

"Is it?" Mick ignored her and waited for an answer to his question.

She immediately shook her head. "It has nothing to do with that."

"Maybe… or maybe not. Why are you sleeping with him?" He asked.

Michaela rolled her eyes. "Look, I don't want to talk about this."

"Whose side are you on?" Mick questioned.

Michaela stood up from her spot at the fountain. "No one's! What don't you people get about the fact that I don't want to help any of you? You're in too deep and what you're asking of me is too much for a person to handle."

"But you aren't just a regular person!" Mick stated.

"Really?" She shook her head and stared at him with fire filled eyes. "Then what am I?"

Mick could feel the fury vibrating off her body and he stepped back. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know, but what I do know is that you have power and I don't know what kind, but I know that it's meant for the greater good."

"I'm sorry Mick," Michaela backed up, "But you aren't the greater good."

Mick raised an eyebrow at her. "Then what am I? Evil?"

She shook her head. "No, you're a boy who misses his girlfriend and there are more important things in life that I care about, so I'm going. Good luck."

"Michaela please," Mick stood in front of her, blocking Michaela.

She chuckled. "You know, for a boy who misses his girlfriend you sure do enjoy kissing other girls."

Mick's mouth slightly fell open and he stepped to the side. "How did you-,"

"I told you, I know everything." Michaela pushed Mick out of her way. Before she left the area she looked back at Mick and said, "And here I thought you were doing this because you loved her."

"I do love her."

"Really?" Michaela snickered. "Well I guess you broke the promise this ring stands for."

She tossed him a small wrapped box before saying, "It was motivation from Jerome. I was supposed to give it you a while back. Too bad it means nothing when it's not on someone's finger."

As Mick stared at the engraved silver diamond ring, Michaela walked away.

_8:15 PM, In front of Osiris House_

"You have to stop disappearing." Morgan stated. Mick walked up to the pair that stood in front of Osiris house.

"It's time?" Mick questioned.

Amber nodded. "We need to get the jewel now or it'll be too late."

"Okay, now that we are all here I can go over the plan. On the roof there is a vent that leads down to the main hallway. The main hallway is the only part of the museum that is uncensored. It leads to the security office which is where Amber comes in. Amber, you'll enter the office and find the main computer. Once you do that you insert the flashdrive with the virus. The virus will weaken the firewall and allow easy access. After cracking the firewall you will have full control of the security. Take control of the cameras, so if anyone is coming you can alert us. Also, make sure the security is completely off in the vault room where the jewel is being kept. I'll remain in the main hallway which allows me to prevent anyone from going to the vault room. It also lets me view the area and make sure that there aren't any tricks up the museum's sleeve. Mick," Morgan briefly glanced at him, "you will enter the vault room where you will find the jewel. Open the case and take out the fake. You must remove the jewel and replace it in three seconds or an alarm goes off that puts the room on lock down."

"I thought Amber was turning off the security." Mick interjected.

Morgan sighed. "You can't turn off an individual display's security."

"Great…" Mick let out a deep breath.

"Now, after Mick gets the jewel we'll exit the museum through the back and get to your friend and Jerome's father. The only problem is that once Amber reactivates the security we only have a minute and a half to exit or we'll be trapped inside. Did you get all that?"

The two nodded. Amber opened up her backpack and handed Mick and Morgan a pair of black gloves and ski masks. "Come on. Let's go get the blood ruby."

_9:46 PM, School Grounds_

Michaela rushed through the school with five books in her hands. She had just left the library which closed at 9:30 on school days. It was dark and not a single soul was in sight as she made her way back to Thoth house.

Michaela turned a corner and she swung her backpack off of one of her shoulders and unzipped it. As she tried to shove the books into it, she felt herself collide with something hard. Michaela's books fell from her hands and she stumbled back about to tip over when someone caught her.

"Sorry," A boy she didn't recognize helped steady her.

"It's fine." Michaela stepped away from him and bent down to pick up her belongings. The boy did the same and began collecting what he had dropped. Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of something beside Michaela. He reached over and picked up on of the books that had fallen to the ground. "_Atlas Shrugged_, amazing book."

Michaela gave him a strange look. "You've read it?"

"Why do you sound so surprised?" He asked.

Michaela shrugged. "Most people can't get over the fact that it's over 1000 pages and more than 500,000 words."

"Well, I'm not most people." He stated.

A small smile flickered on Michaela's face as she stretched out her hand. "I'm Michaela."

He returned the smile and shook her hand. "I'm Fabian."

"It's nice to meet you." Michaela picked up the last of her things and stood up. Fabian also stood up.

"What are you doing out here anyway? It's almost past curfew." Fabian wondered.

"I just left the library." She answered.

Fabian groaned. "It's closed? Well, I guess the librarian can yell at me tomorrow."

Michaela chuckled lightly. "I should get going. Like you said, it's almost past curfew."

"Umm, do you mind if I walk with you? My house is also that way." Fabian asked.

"What house are you in?" Michaela responded.

Fabian pointed to one of the student houses in the distance. "Anubis house."

Michael shook her head as she laughed to herself. "You have got to be kidding me…"

"Pardon?" Fabian raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, it's nothing." She replied. "I'm in Thoth house."

"Great. Well," Fabian nodded toward the houses. "Shall we?"

Michaela smiled at him and the two began walking.

_**AN: I hope you liked and sorry for the long wait! There is only one chapter left and it will be the longest chapter in the whole story. Remember, there is a sequel that I will post after this story is finished. If you liked, review, alert, and favorite! Sorry for any mistakes!**_

_**P.S. The last scene with Michaela and Fabian is extremely important in the sequel. If you don't remember this scene you will be completely confused in the sequel. You must remember it because only Amber, Mick, Morgan, Jerome, Nina, and Jerome's father will be in the last chapter and the moment won't be mentioned again till the sequel.**_

_**Here is a sneak peek of the last chapter…**_

"Mick, you have to calm down. Mick-,"

"I can't calm down!" Mick shouted. "If you don't do something I will die."

Mick could hear Morgan grunt over the ear piece. "If I pull it, it might make it worse."

"I don't care! You got me into this and now you have to get me out!"

Morgan sighed. "Stay put."

"Where am I going to go?" Mick snapped.

"Good point." Mick heard a crackle and then Morgan got off the line. He stared up at the splitting fibers. "Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't look-,"

Mick suddenly heard something snap. Before he could even react, the harness gave way and Mick found himself sailing through the air, falling to his death.


	15. Facing Fears and Spreading Flames

_**AN: Okay, this is it. I'm not going to write a giant AN in the beginning but there is one at the bottom that you should read to find out information you need to know about the sequel. Now, I hope you enjoy the last chapter of **__**House of Fire**__**...**_

_Rooftop of Museum, 10:00 PM_

"Are you ready?" Morgan looked at Amber and Mick.

Amber nodded. "Yeah, let's do this."

"Mick?"

Mick stood behind Amber with his arms crossed over his chest. "I don't know. I have a bad feeling about this."

"It's not time to start worrying." Amber stated.

"I know," Mick replied, "but if we fail we'll go to prison. I don't want to be behind bars."

"Mick, you can't back out now. There's too much at stake." Morgan informed him.

Mick sighed before stepping towards them and helping Morgan open the vent. "Amber, you go in first."

She crouched down and let her feet dangle in the vents before pushing herself down. Morgan glanced up at Mick. "I know what you're thinking."

"Really?" Mick asked.

"Yeah and I suggest you let it go." Morgan advised him.

Mick chuckled and shook his head. "Morgan, there is so much you don't know."

"Like what?" He asked.

"She loves him." Mick answered.

Morgan remained quiet as Mick lowered himself into the vent. "I don't know what happened between you two, but it doesn't change anything. She's doing this for him. She always has been."

Mick stared at Morgan before letting his body slide down.

_Anubis House, 10:05 PM_

Jerome paced his room back and forth as he stared down at his cell phone. It suddenly began ringing and Jerome rushed over to it. "Hello?"

His eyes grew wide at what he heard. "Get rid of it."

"Don't protest!" Jerome interrupted the person on the other line. "By the time I get there I better have one less problem to worry about."

He slammed his phone shut before bending down and removing one of the floorboards. He pulled a box out from the floor and opened it to find a note. His eyebrows furrowed as he took the note and set the box down. He opened it up and read it aloud.

"Jerome, I know I said that I didn't choose sides, but this isn't the person you are. I've given the emerald to Amber and she's on her way to rescue Nina. I haven't told her the full prophecy yet, but she well discover it as soon as she obtains the blood ruby. This may be hard for you now, but you will thank me later. I don't hold you accountable for what happened between us because I know it was simply the demon within you. However, I don't want any further involvement with you in any way. You've seen too much and you know too much. Because of that there will always be a part of you that is tainted black. I hope in a short amount of time I will be able to see you for the man you really are, but for now you are nothing but a monster. Good luck on your quest; you're going to need it. Sincerely, Michaela."

Jerome let his fist close crushing the paper. He smashed his fist down against the floor creating a dent. "How dare she!"

He tossed the paper onto the floor before grabbing his phone and quickly dialing a number. "I've changed my mind. Execute them! I don't want to see a single one of their bloody faces! Tell father I'm coming and I'm bringing vengeance with me."

Jerome hung up and shoved his phone back in his pocket. He stood up, grabbed his coat, and stormed out of the room.

_Somewhere in London, 10:09 PM_

"You heard him; we have to execute them all." A tall dark skinned man turned towards two buff men who stood in front of a locked door.

"But we can't leave our post." One of the guards protested.

The dark-skinned man glared at him. "I don't care. You are to do as I say!"

The sound of someone clearing their throat caused the man to turn. "Who dare disturb-,"

The dark-skinned man immediately shut his mouth when he saw who it was. He straightened up and stared at the man.

"Last time I checked I was in charge." The man stepped forward and walked towards the three at the door.

"I'm sorry Mr. Clarke. It's just that-,"

"Just what Henry? What makes you think you can defy my orders?" He interrupted.

Henry gulped before handing him his phone. "It's your son. He called and told me that he was on his way. He sounded ready to kill."

Mr. Clarke smirked. "That's my boy. What did he want?"

"He wants them executed sir." Henry explained.

Mr. Clarke let out a deep breath. "I see…"

"What do we do sir?"

Mr. Clarke stared down at the phone. "Do as he says. If he wants them executed than executed they will be."

Henry nodded before rushing past Mr. Clarke and going up the stone steps.

Mr. Clarke turned towards the guards. "I must speak with the girl."

The two guards lifted the latch and pulled open the heavy door. In the corner of the room, Nina sat with her arms wrapped around her legs. Her head was buried between her knees and her hair was covering her face. Burns and bruises littered her body.

"Nina dear, don't hide from the light."

Nina's head shot up and she squirmed to move farther away causing Mr. Clarke to chuckle. "I'm not here to cause you anymore pain."

At the sound of those words Nina became slightly less tense. Mr. Clarke smiled and bent down so he was eye level. He took hold of her right arm and stared down at her wrist which had a tattoo of a crest surrounded by fire. Mr. Clarke's smile turned into a devious smirk as he released her arm and said, "I'm here to end it."

_Inside museum, 10:25 PM_

"Are you ready?" Morgan's voice echoed in Mick's ears.

Mick looked around the area before replying, "I'm ready, pull me up."

Mick let one of his hands grip the cord and Morgan pulled it up from his spot on the roof. As his body was lifted further away from the ground Mick spotted the silver chamber suspended 100 feet in the air. A pad lock held two large metal doors together.

"Stop, I can see it now." Mick stated.

"Got it." Morgan responded. "Can you reach it?"

Mick sighed as he stared at the chamber. "I think I can jump to it if I bounce off the wall."

"You _think_?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah, I think… Get ready to swing the cable." Mick answered.

"Hold on," Morgan paused, "Amber says the security is down, but it'll be back up in ten."

"Okay," Mick took a deep breath before saying, "Go."

Mick could feel the cord being moved slightly. He tried to kick his legs forward to make him swing faster, but it was of no use. All of a sudden the sound of a tear filled his ears. "Morgan, stop."

"Why?"

Mick looked at the cord and groaned. "It's going to snap… Morgan, the cord is going to snap."

"Mick, you have to-,"

"The cord is going to snap! You told me nothing would go wrong!" Mick cut him off.

"Mick, you have to calm down. Mick-,"

"I can't calm down!" Mick shouted. "If you don't do something I will die."

Mick could hear Morgan grunt over the ear piece. "If I pull it, it might make it worse."

"I don't care! You got me into this and now you have to get me out!"

Morgan sighed. "Stay put."

"Where am I going to go?" Mick snapped.

"Good point." Mick heard a crackle and then Morgan got off the line. He stared up at the splitting fibers. "Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't look-,"

Mick suddenly heard something snap. Before he could even react, the harness gave way and Mick found himself sailing through the air, falling to his death.

He held his arms out as he flailed around in hopes of grabbing onto something. _Come on Mick, just think-,_

Before he could finish his thought, Mick collided with something cold and hard. He groaned and lifted his head up slightly as he looked around. He was on top of the chamber.

"Mick, are you okay?" Morgan's voice filled his ear. "Mick, where are you?"

Mick shifted a bit and looked over the edge of the chamber. He sat up and stared at the giant padlock. Slowly, he tried to lift himself up, only to fall back on his butt. "What the..."

Mick looked down at his foot which was turned in an odd angle. "Morgan?"

"Yeah?"

Mick sighed. "We have a problem."

"What sort of problem?" Morgan asked.

"I think I twisted my ankle… and I can't walk." He informed him.

"Just great… can you crawl?" He asked.

Mick shook his head. "You want me to-,"

"No, you are going to crawl." Morgan demanded. "Open the padlock. The code should be 3478. Grab the ruby as quick as you can and-,"

"And what?"

Mick could hear Morgan gulp before he said, "And jump."

"Jump!" Mick shouted.

"Just trust me." Morgan insisted.

Mick sighed. "3478, right?"

"Yeah, that should be it." Mick grunted as he slowly crawled to the padlock and typed in the four numbers. "ACESS DENIED."

The loud booming electronic voice filled his ears. "THREE MORE TRIES."

"It's not 3478." Mick declared.

"I don't know what else it could be. You have to guess." Morgan explained.

Mick groaned. "6523."

"ACESS DENIED."

"Mick!" Amber's voice rang in his ears.

"Sorry," Mick apologized. He shook out his hands and stretched his neck before typing in, "8995."

"ACESS DENIED."

"You have one more chance Mick. Think about a code that would make sense." Morgan offered.

"Okay… you have one chance Mick. Think or you'll be in jail." Mick paused and closed his eyes for a moment as he searched his head for a logical answer.

His eyes suddenly snapped open as a light bulb went off in his head. "7 was the original number of chaos members, 2 Fortuna jewels are needed, 1 human heart is needed, and 9 generations have failed."

Mick waited patiently for a moment. "Come on!"

"ACESS… GRANTED."

"Yes!" Mick watched as one of the doors slid open revealing a podium. On the podium sat the biggest, purest ruby he had ever seen. Mick reached into his fanny pack and pulled out the fake. Quickly and carefully, Mick replaced the real ruby with the fake. He sat up and retyped the code so the door would close. Mick admired the jewel for a second before putting it into the fanny pack.

Mick crawled over to the edge of the chamber. "Here goes nothing."

Mick let his eyes close before he pushed himself off the platform and let the air around him smack against his body as he waited to collide with the hard stone ground. However, Mick felt himself fall against a soft fluffy surface. His eyes snapped open as he looked around the room. "I'm alive… and where did this mattress come from?"

"I suspected something may have gone wrong." Morgan stated. Mick turned around and saw both Amber and Morgan at the doorway. "Did you get it?"

Mick nodded. "Let's go."

"Hold on," Morgan walked up to Mick, "Can you walk?"

"I can limp."

"Mick, maybe you should let Morgan and I-,"

"No!" Mick cut Amber off. "I'm saving my girlfriend. End of discussion."

Mick walked out of the main room before stopping and looking back at Amber and Morgan. "Are you coming?"

_Somewhere in London, 10:50 PM_

"I'm here." Jerome barged into the large room. He spotted Nina and his father at the far left and made his way over to them. "You haven't killed her yet?"

"Patience my son." He looked at Jerome. "She's leverage. We wait till they arrive to execute her."

Jerome nodded. "Can I have a word alone with Nina?"

"Very well, but make it quick." He left Jerome and Nina on there own.

"Hello Nina, remember me?" Nina's head snapped up and she stared at Jerome.

"Jerome? What are you doing here?" She asked.

Jerome smiled a bit as he bent down so he was eye level with her. "I'm here to kill you Nina."

Nina shook her head. "Why are you doing this?"

"I believe in a little thing called justice. Maybe you've heard of it."

"I don't understand." Nina exclaimed. "I thought you were one of the good ones."

"Nina, you must have me mistaken for someone else. I'm not Jerome." He replied.

"Then who are you?"

"Well, I'm a better version of him." Jerome stated.

Nina shook her head. "You're possessed."

Jerome shrugged. "Call it whatever you want, I'm still strong and powerful."

"Who are you?" Nina asked.

"Nina, dear, we've been over this. I'm Jerome."

A determined look filled Nina's features as she forced herself closer to him. "Who are you?"

Jerome sighed. "I'm Anu Kabar… the original Chaos member."

_Outside of the Clarke Family Estate, 11:00 PM_

"This is it." Amber declared as she stared at the tall iron gates. "How are we getting in?"

"Leave that to me." Morgan answered as he walked up to the gates. He raised his hand to the lock and held it tightly in his hand. In a matter of seconds Morgan's hand and the lock was glowing red.

The lock suddenly liquefied and the gate opened. "Ladies first,"

Amber gave him a small smile before stepping through the gates. Morgan and Mick followed as they walked to the set of huge doors. "So… do we knock?" Mick asked.

Amber shook her head. "I don't think so…"

"Amber's right. Something tells me that they already know we're here." Morgan concluded.

"You're right; we do already know you're here." Jerome appeared from the dark with two large guards behind him. "Glad you could join us."

"Okay, we're here and we have the jewels. Now, where is Nina?" Mick asked.

"All in do time my friend. Now let me introduce you to my father." Jerome responded. He walked to the large doors and pushed them open before entering the house. Amber, Mick, and Morgan trailed behind him.

"This doesn't feel right." Amber muttered.

She looked around the room to find her suspicions confirmed. 12 large guards surrounded them and Jerome grinned. "Welcome to the Clarke Family Estate. I hope you enjoyed your brief visit, but now it's time to die."

(***)

The last thing Amber remembered before being knocked out was Jerome's sick smirk. She didn't how she had gotten in the library which was currently empty.

Amber glanced around the room and saw rows of shelves full of books. In the center of the room was a nice leather sofa, an arm chair, and a white suede loveseat in front of the fireplace. Amber slowly made her way to the lit fireplace and stared at the objects on the mantel. Pictures of Jerome and his father stood side by side as well as a small clock and two antique vases. Amber let her hand slide along the mantel before she picked up one of the picture frames and stared at the image. It was Jerome as a young boy on a swing as a beautiful blonde woman who appeared to be laughing pushed him higher.

"Lovely photo." Amber turned quickly and saw Jerome's father seated on the arm chair. He held a cigar between his fingers as he let a puff of smoke leave his lips. Amber gulped before setting down the frame and walking to the sofa. She took the farthest seat available and stared at him.

"Amber… you look even prettier in person." He exclaimed.

Amber remained quiet and he chuckled. "Sorry, it's rude to not introduce myself. I'm Mr. Clarke."

"I know who you are." Amber replied.

"Really? Well I hope you've heard good things about me." He announced.

"I've heard things, but I wouldn't exactly call them good."

He shrugged. "Alright, let's get to business. I want the Fortuna jewels in exchange for your friend."

"How do I know you won't double cross me?" Amber questioned.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You don't."

"Then no deal." She stated.

"How about your friend and I won't kill those two boys?" He proposed.

Amber stared down at her hands. "I want Jerome back."

Mr. Clarke raised an eyebrow before bursting out in laughter. "That's ridiculous."

"I promised Jerome I'd save him." Amber divulged.

"Well," He grabbed a newspaper from the nightstand beside the armchair, "I can't help you with that."

"Why not?" She asked.

"Because that isn't up to me." He answered.

"Then tell me." Amber insisted. "How do I get Jerome back?"

He sighed as he set the newspaper down. "Very well. To break the deathly curse one must fulfill one of youth's firsts."

"I don't get it. What does that mean?" Amber asked.

"A true loves kiss can break the curse."

Amber raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms and scoffed. "What is this, a fairy tale?"

"Might as well be..." He shrugged. "The only difference is that there is no happy ending."

Amber took a deep breath. "A kiss?"

"Yes, a kiss. Anything else you want?"

"I want to see Nina." Amber demanded.

He sighed. "Follow me."

Amber watched as he got out of the armchair and walked out the library.

(***)

"Show her the girl." Mr. Clarke stated. The guard nodded before disappearing into another room. Amber glanced around and saw Mick and Morgan both being held by guards. Jerome sat in a chair across the room staring at the scene unfold.

"Here she is." The guard threw Nina down onto the ground.

"Nina!" Mick tried to run towards her, but the guard tightened his grip on his arm.

"You've seen the girl. Now show me the jewels." He demanded.

Amber stared down at Mick's fanny pack for a moment before looking at Jerome. "I promised…"

Amber threw the fanny pack down causing Mr. Clarke to gasp. "The jewels!"

All hell seemed to break loose as Morgan heated up the guard's hand causing him to let go. Mick hit the guard holding him in the gut and ran to Nina. Mr. Clarke and two other guards dived for the fanny pack.

"Jerome!" Amber ran to Jerome who was now standing up.

"I'm not Jerome." He stated.

"Yes, you are." Amber stated. "You're Jerome."

"Face it Amber. You're little Jerome is gone." He spat out.

Amber shook her head. "No, he's here. He always has been. I've just never been able to see it."

"See what? I've already told-,"

Before he could finish his sentence Amber crashed her lips against Jerome's. Her lips began to feel warm and a fire exploded in her stomach. All the emotions she had kept bottled up inside suddenly came loose as she pulled Jerome closer to her. She could feel him kissing back as the fire spread from her body into his.

Time seemed to stop and everything became a foggy mess as she focused on nothing but the kiss. She didn't know what was happening. All she knew was that there was this tingling feeling growing in her and that her heart was thumping loudly in her chest. All the memories and the thoughts and the feelings she had felt since that day she went to Jerome's room to check on him flooded her mind till a white light occupied her brain and it all disappeared.

Amber pulled away and stared at Jerome, waiting for a reaction.

Jerome stood frozen for a moment before he shook his head and said, "Amber? What's going on?"

A grin filled Amber's face as she wrapped her arms around Jerome in a bone crushing hug. Jerome remained still before wrapping his arms around her. "You saved me."

Amber chuckled a bit. "Did you ever doubt I would?"

Jerome pulled away from the hug. "I can't believe it's over."

Amber shook her head. "It isn't over yet."

She stared at Mr. Clarke and shouted, "Hey, looking for this."

Amber pulled the two jewels out of her pocket and held them up.

Mr. Clarke's eyes widened. "Give me those."

Amber looked over at Mick, Morgan, and Nina. "Get out of here, now."

The three obeyed and rushed out the front doors of the estate. "Listen, give them to me!"

Amber stared at the jewels. "I thought I was going to die… I thought I would have to sacrifice myself for my friends, but I was wrong. You need three Fortuna jewels or else the spell doesn't work. I'm sorry, but I guess only one will live today."

Before he could reach her Amber lifted up her arms and threw the jewels onto the hard stone floor. The emerald and the ruby shattered into a million pieces as an explosion went off. Amber was pushed back by the force. She crashed into the wall and stared at the now burning building. "Help! Help!"

Amber saw Mr. Clarke under a pillar as the fire neared him. She kept her eyes on him for a few more seconds before looking around. "Jerome! Jerome!"

"Amber!" Jerome raced towards her and squinted so he could see through the smoke. "You have to get out of here."

"What about you?" She asked.

Jerome glanced at his father. "I need to take care of some unfinished business."

"But the flames-,"

"Can't hurt me. I'm immune to fire Amber. I'll be fine." He reminded her.

Amber could feel tears welling up in her eyes as the extreme heat vibrated against her skin. "I just got you back. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't." Jerome pressed his lips against Amber's in a quick chaste kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too." Amber exclaimed.

Jerome nodded. "Get out of here."

Jerome ran towards his father but before Amber left she shouted, "Jerome?"

"Yeah?" He glanced back at her.

"See you on the other side."

Jerome smirked and nodded before turning back towards his father. Amber ran across the room, dodging debris and flames. It was strange how she didn't feel worried, almost as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Perhaps it was because she knew she would see Jerome again and when she did everything would be alright. Or maybe it was because she knew it was over. Whatever the reason may have been it didn't matter. She was going to run to freedom and finally escape the room she had been locked in for the past year when she discovered Jerome was possessed. Amber was free… too bad she didn't know that behind every closed door was another challenge. She would discover that soon, but for now she had a life to get back to and she was ready for what the world was going to throw at her next, because she was Amber Millington and she could fight her way through everything.

_**AN: That is the end of '**__**House of Fire'**__** and I'm sad it's over. However, I am writing a sequel that picks up four months after the end of this chapter at the start of a brand new school year. I want to thank all of you guys for reading and reviewing and offering me advice. I can't believe you guys put up with my random updating schedule, but you did and I love you guys for that. Hopefully you all decide to read the sequel which I know you will all love. This was the first story I really fell in love with and I'm glad you guys liked it too. Thanks for everything, you guys are the best and I hope you read the sequel and all my future stories to come.**_

_**P.S. The sequel is called '**__**House of Souls'**__** and I will update this story to let you know when it is up online. If you want to find it when it's posted you can go to my page or search house of fire sequel or simply the title of the story. It will be up sometime this week since chapter 1 is already done. I hope you guys decide to read it. It would mean the world to me.**_

_**P.P.S. Please review, favorite, PM, and subscribe. I will be answering reviews this time, so ask questions or tell me what you want to see in the sequel. Thanks for everything and I hope you liked the last chapter!**_

_**-Karina**_


	16. Sequel is up!

_**AN: The sequel is up!**_

_**I recently posted the sequel and I promised I would update this story to tell you. It's called 'House of Souls.' I hope you all take some time to read it and tell me what you think. It would mean the world. Thanks and read it!**_

_**-Karina**_


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